Dr. Mark Cucuzzella

Dr. Mark Cucuzzella is a Professor at West Virginia University School of Medicine. He is also a LtCol in the US Air Force designing programs to promote health and better fitness in the military with the USAF Efficient Running Project.  In his community and medical school, he has been a tireless promoter of nutritional interventions in patients with any spectrum of the metabolic syndrome and introducing low carb options for hospital patients.  He is a member of The Nutrition Coalition advocating for scientific scrutiny in nutritional policy and a certified MAF practitioner.He was a lead writer of one of the first grants supporting the education of Medical Students in nutrition and physical activity through the MEDCHEFS program, now in its 4th year.  Mark is also the lead on a large USDA grant to double SNAP benefits at Farmers Markets- the goal is reducing food insecurity as a barrier to healthier eating.

He’s also been a competitive runner for over 30 years — with more than 100 marathon and ultramarathon finishes — and has a unique streak of 30 years running a marathon under 3 hours. He has won the Air Force Marathon twice. He is the race director of Freedom’s Run race series in West Virginia and director of the Natural Running Center, an education portal designed to teach healthier running. Mark is also the owner of Two Rivers Treads — A Center for Natural Running and Walking in his hometown of Shepherdstown, W.Va.

Mark’s vision of medical care as it should be is housed in his site www.natureprescriptions.org. Mark’s innovative work and a story have been featured in the New York Times, NPR, Outside Magazine, Running Times, Runners World, Air Force Times, the Washington Post, JAMA, Blue Ridge Outdoors, and other medical and media outlets.