Armistead and Morgan promoted to staff director positions with WVCTSI
The West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute (WVCTSI) is pleased to announce the recent promotions of Matthew Armistead and Emily Morgan, who have officially assumed staff director roles within the institute’s Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design (BERD) Core. Armistead serves as director of biomedical informatics, and Morgan now serves as director of data operations and compliance. Together, they lead a team of analysts, data engineers, biostatisticians and data scientists supporting clinical and translational research across West Virginia.
Armistead, who joined WVCTSI in 2013, brings more than a decade of experience in biomedical informatics, clinical data architecture, and research analytics. Most recently serving as principal software architect, he led the development of WVCTSI’s COVID-19 patient registry—designed and implemented within four weeks to support statewide pandemic research and response. His work includes engineering extensive SQL- and Python-based data pipelines integrating hospital, laboratory, and public health data; developing novel patient-identification algorithms; overseeing secure data environments and transfer protocols. His contributions span high-impact data linkage projects, stewardship of the WVU Heart Failure Registry, and analytical support for more than 300 research studies.
Armistead holds a Master of Science in Biostatistics from West Virginia University and a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems from Carnegie Mellon University.
Morgan, who has been with WVCTSI since 2017, most recently served as assistant director of research data services, where she oversaw day-to-day BERD Core operations supporting more than 3,700 service hours to 555 researchers in the last fiscal year. She manages core collaborations, workflows and assignments across the team. Morgan has played a central role in developing and harmonizing data security policies in collaboration with WVU and the WVU Health System, and she serves on the WVU Institutional Review Board, where she provides specialized review for studies involving electronic health record data. She also manages WVCTSI’s TriNetX electronic clinical data platform, supports grant progress tracking and federal reporting, and brings extensive experience in REDCap, SQL, APEX, ArcGIS, and R programming.
Morgan holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and dual bachelor’s degrees in biology and Chinese studies from West Virginia University. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree from George Washington University.
“Matt and Emily’s expertise directly strengthens the scientific rigor and research infrastructure of WVCTSI,” said Dr. Sijin Wen, BERD Core faculty co-director. “Their leadership, technical skill, and deep commitment to supporting investigators will continue to elevate our ability to deliver high-quality data and analytic services across the state.”
Dr. Brad Price, BERD Core faculty co-director, added, “In addition to their technical knowledge, what truly sets Matt and Emily apart is the way they lead—with a genuine commitment to supporting the people around them. They are thoughtful leaders who listen first and elevate their teams by promoting a collaborative environment where people can grow and excel. I’m excited about where our teams are heading and support the world-class research that is happening at WVCTSI.”
Working under the direction of Drs. Wen and Price, Armistead and Morgan collaborate to lead the BERD team in achieving project, program, and core goals. They also partner with other WVCTSI cores, units, and institutional collaborators to support the institute’s mission of advancing clinical and translational research across West Virginia and the region. Their promotions come as part of the core’s reorganization to prepare for the upcoming funding renewal proposal.
WVCTSI Background
WVCTSI is funded by an IDeA Clinical and Translational Research award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (U54GM104942) to support the mission of building clinical and translational research infrastructure and capacity to improve health outcomes in West Virginia.