HSR Investigator Receives ORD’s Barnwell Award

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May 8, 2025

Jeannie Beckham, PhD, has received VA's 2024 John B. Barnwell Award, the Office of Research & Development 's highest honor for outstanding achievement in clinical science. The award recognizes clinical research accomplishments in VA priority areas that advance diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders in Veterans. Awardees also demonstrate a high level of clinical commitment to VA patients.

Dr. Beckham is a VA Research Career Scientist at HSR's Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT) and a clinical psychologist at the VA Durham Health Care System. She also directs the Genetics Research Lab at the VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education & Clinical Center (VISN 6 MIRECC).

Dr. Beckham's research has examined the psychological and physical health consequences of PTSD, and the underlying mechanisms associated with smoking in Veterans with PTSD. She has also developed innovative interventions and models of care to improve smoking cessation outcomes. More recently, she has worked to improve outcomes of Veterans with PTSD who misuse drugs other than tobacco (e.g., cannabis, alcohol), and she has identified genetic markers to improve the prediction of suicide among Veterans.