Northwestern University’s Rinad Beidas Appointed to National Advisory Committees in Behavioral Health

By Julie A. Bednark

February 16, 2024

Northwestern University Ralph Seal Paffenbarger Professor and Chair of Medical Social Sciences Rinad Beidas, PhD, has been appointed to two new national advisory committees in behavioral health. Beidas’s research centers on leveraging insights from implementation science and behavioral economics to make it easier for clinicians, leaders, and organizations to use best practices to improve the quality and equity of care and enhance health outcomes.

First, Beidas was invited to serve on the National Institute of Mental Health National Advisory Mental Health Council (NAMHC) board. Her appointment with NAHMC is from 2023-2026. The NAMHC advises the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, and the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), on matters related to the conduct and support of mental health research, training, and other programs led by the NIMH, the leading federal agency for research on behavioral health.

Second, Beidas was selected to serve on the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) study entitled, “Blueprint for a National Prevention Infrastructure for Behavioral Health Disorders.” This study will develop a nationwide blueprint, including specific, actionable steps for building and sustaining an infrastructure for delivering prevention interventions targeting risk factors for behavioral health disorders.

"I am deeply humbled to have the opportunity to contribute my expertise to these two pivotal advisory committees, each playing a transformative role in reshaping our nation’s behavioral health landscape.” said Beidas. “First, I am so honored to sit on NAHMC. NIMH has been a major supporter of my research program, and I am thrilled to be able to give back to an organization that has been so influential in my career. Second, I look forward to participating on this NASEM study and to lay out a vision for a nationwide infrastructure to support the mental health and well-being of our country now and into the future.”