Bettina M. Beech

Dr. Bettina M. Beech is the Chief Population Health Officer at the University of Houston. She has a unique interdisciplinary background that integrates public health, population health, minority health, and health disparities research with an emphasis on chronic disease self-management across the life course. Her research studies have included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that involved health coaching delivered by nurses, dental hygienists, psychologists, and physical activity trainers. This work has been funded by multiple institutes at the National Institutes of Health and has been recognized by leading scientific organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Beech is also committed to the development of the next generation of scholars and her secondary line of research focuses on the science of mentoring. She is currently a Multiple Investigator of NHLBI-funded research training and mentoring program for early career faculty from underrepresented backgrounds.

Dr. Beech is a native of Los Angeles, California, Dr. Beech holds a B.A. from Temple University, Master of Public Health from Temple University, and a Dr.P.H. in Community Health from University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in behavioral science at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, was 2011-2012 Fellow in the Hedwig van Amerigen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women, and a 2016-2017 fellow in the prestigious American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows program.