Over her 35 years in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, tenured professor Jeannie Beckham, PhD, has mentored more than 140 undergraduates, graduate students, clinical psychology trainees, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty members. To date, their combined research output includes more than 800 peer-reviewed journal publications.
Sharing her expertise and support with up-and-coming clinical researchers has been among the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of her faculty role, and she especially cherishes the pivotal moment when one of her mentees gets their first major grant.
And while she relishes helping others develop personally and professionally, she also acknowledges the mutual benefits of these relationships: “Being a mentor has also made things so much more interesting for me. Working with the next generation—people who are energetic and have new skills and a passion for the research—continues to energize me.”
“Working with the next generation—people who are energetic and have new skills and a passion for the research—continues to energize me.”
— Jeannie Beckham, PhD
It’s a role in which she excels; in 2015, she received the Duke School of Medicine’s Research Mentoring Award for Clinical Science Research.
Beckham understands the value of a strong mentor from personal experience. After completing her PhD in clinical psychology at Florida State University, she was drawn to Duke in 1989 by the opportunity to complete a postdoctoral fellowship in the Pain Prevention and Treatment Research Program with Frank Keefe, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences who still leads the program.
She subsequently completed a second postdoctoral fellowship with former faculty member John Barefoot, PhD, who was investigating psychological aspects of cardiovascular disease. Together, Keefe and Barefoot helped Beckham launch her clinical and research career in behavioral medicine. Three decades later, she co-leads the department’s Division of Behavioral Medicine with department chair Moira Rynn, MD.
From Pain to PTSD
While continuing her research as a faculty member at Duke, Beckham practiced as a clinical psychologist in the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Clinic at the Durham VA Health Care System from 1992 to 2007. She’d become interested in working with veterans during her clinical psychology doctoral internship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center/Veterans Affairs Medical Center Consortium.
Beckham’s first grant explored anger and hostility in people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study piqued her curiosity about the ways PTSD affects people’s physical health—for example, people with the disorder have a higher prevalence of smoking and a higher risk for cardiovascular disease than the general public.
And now, nearly 50 grants and 450+ publications later, Beckham is still exploring this theme from various angles, with her research program based at both Duke and the Durham VA. In fact, in 2017, she received the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies’ Robert S. Laufer Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement, the organization’s highest honor for individuals whose scientific achievements have advanced knowledge on the nature, assessment, and treatment of traumatic stress.
Investigating PTSD Co-Morbidities
Beckham’s research has primarily focused on the intersection of PTSD and other health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, and behaviors that create serious health risks, such as use of tobacco, cannabis, and other substances. Her studies have involved veterans and other community participants.
“Our team was among the first researchers to put a spotlight on the fact that people with PTSD, along with many other people who have psychiatric disorders, smoke at much higher rates [than others] and therefore tend to have shorter lives,” Beckham reflected.
She cites her team’s development and testing of smoking cessation interventions—including several delivered via mobile app—as some of their most impactful research. One of their current studies aims to help unhoused veterans quit smoking. “We’ve found that veterans who were able to quit smoking felt more empowered,” Beckham noted. “And they also had more choices in terms of where they could live, because most housing is now smoke-free.”
Beckham’s passion for helping veterans quit smoking has extended into the policy realm. As a member of the Veterans Health Administration’s tobacco advisory group, she’s helped lift restrictions on medications for smoking cessation and developed telephone and text-based support programs for veterans trying to quit smoking.
Beckham and her team are also investigating innovative strategies to prevent suicide among veterans. For example, they’re using natural language processing methods to analyze electronic health records with the goal of identifying recent life events—such as financial instability, housing insecurity, or the death of a loved one—that put veterans at risk for suicide. In other studies, Beckham’s team is exploring potential suicide risk factors such as genetics and social drivers of health.
Nuggets of Leadership Wisdom
In addition to serving as co-director of the department’s Division of Behavioral Medicine, Beckham holds two leadership positions in the VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network within the Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center: research co-director since 2010 and research leader of the Genetics Laboratory since 2005. Years ago, she joined the pilot cohort of Duke University School of Medicine’s ALICE (Academic Leadership, Innovation, and Collaborative Engagement) program for mid-career women faculty, an experience she found “incredibly valuable” in helping her develop as a leader.
Beckham also co-chairs the department’s early career mentoring program for postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty members, a role that prompts reflection on the lessons she’s learned throughout her career and what advice might best serve researchers in the early stages of their own careers.
“Just like any other team, research teams don’t just happen. By putting time and effort into your team, it’s a win-win for everyone.”
— Jeannie Beckham, PhD
Investing in learning how to build a successful team should be a priority, she says: “Just like any other team, research teams don’t just happen. By putting time and effort into your team, it’s a win-win for everyone.” A good place to start, she suggests, is developing an understanding of your strengths and opportunities as a leader.
She also advises being intentional about building a diverse team, noting, “We need diversity in our teams. It brings new life, new perspectives, and new energy.”
This article is part of a series of spotlights on Duke Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences faculty and staff members who have worked at Duke for 30+ years, developed in honor of Duke's Centennial celebration.