He has also conducted extensive work on developing and strengthening scientific research in Africa.

He received his post graduate diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in 1982 from Liverpool.

In 1989, he, along with his colleagues, established a series of research projects on the immunology and clinical epidemiology of malaria at Kilifi on the coast of Kenya; these developed into an international programme, the KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, which he directed until 2014.

[10] Since 2014 Marsh has been senior adviser at the African Academy of sciences, based at their headquarters in Nairobi, where he worked with colleagues to develop the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA), a platform aiming to shift the centre of gravity of research to the African continent.

[11] He currently co leads the AAS Covid programme which has worked closely with AUDA NEPAD, Africa CDC and WHO Afro to develop COVID-19 research priorities for the continent.