Marshall physician leader selected for national ELAM fellowship

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Krista L. Denning, M.D., of Marshall Health Network and the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, has been selected for the 2026–2027 class of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program. 

The ELAM program, based at Drexel University College of Medicine, is one of the nation’s most competitive leadership fellowships for senior women in academic health care. Participants are selected through a rigorous national process that evaluates leadership potential, professional accomplishments, and institutional support. 

Denning joins a distinguished cohort of leaders from across academic medicine, dentistry, public health and pharmacy. She is only the second Marshall faculty to be chosen for the program, following Darshana T. Shah, Ph.D., professor and senior associate dean for faculty advancement, who completed the fellowship in 2009-2010. 

“I’m honored to be selected for the ELAM program and grateful for the support of Marshall Health Network and the School of Medicine,” Denning said. “This opportunity will allow me to further develop the leadership skills needed to strengthen academic medicine and expand access to high-quality care for the communities we serve.” 

Denning currently serves as assistant dean for medical student research, chair and professor of pathology at the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and medical director of the Marshall Health Network laboratories at Cabell Huntington Hospital, Marshall Health – Teays Valley and Marshall Toxicology. In these roles, Denning leads academic and clinical efforts in pathology while advancing research opportunities for medical students, supporting the integration of education, research and patient care across the academic health system. 

The yearlong ELAM fellowship includes intensive training in strategic finance, organizational leadership and change management, preparing participants to lead complex academic health systems and institutions. 

Denning’s selection reflects Marshall’s continued investment in developing physician leaders and advancing its mission of improving health outcomes across West Virginia and the region.