HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Dr. Joseph I. Shapiro was named dean of Marshall University's medical school on Tuesday.

Shapiro currently serves as associate dean for business development and medical chairman at the University of Toledo's College of Medicine. He was picked through a nationwide search that started last summer.

"It is a great honor and privilege to be associated with this fabulous organization, and I firmly believe that the coming years will present great opportunity for the school to expand its purview in the areas of education, research and service as we pursue our mission to improve the health of West Virginia," Shapiro said.

Shapiro's appointment comes five months after an accrediting body placed the medical school on probation due to noncompliance with accreditation standards in several areas.

Marshall President Stephen J. Kopp highlighted Shapiro's work in academic medicine, research knowledge and clinical and business experience.

"More than anything else, however, we believe he embraces the ideals that distinguish our School of Medicine, and he knows the direction we must take to continue to build on the great tradition and proud heritage at Marshall," Kopp said.

Shapiro has more than 30 years of clinical and teaching experience and specializes in kidney care. He succeeds Dr. Robert C. Nerhood, who had been serving as interim dean of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.

Dr. Charles McKown stepped down as dean last year to become the Huntington school's vice president for health sciences advancement.

Shapiro has served as an investigator on nearly three dozen grant-funded projects totaling more than $30 million. He has been involved with the creation of three spin-off companies from that research. In addition, he holds patents on 14 medical inventions and has written more than 100 research articles.

In October, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education denied Marshall's appeal of its June 2011 recommendation of probation for the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. Under the committee's rules of procedure, programs on probation retain their accreditation. But the committee can revoke the accreditation if any noncompliance is detected within a two-year period.

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Shapiro named Marshall medical school dean