Andrea Beckel-Mitchener, Ph.D.

Andrea Beckel-Mitchener, Ph.D., is the Acting Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the lead federal agency for research on mental disorders. She oversees the institute’s research portfolio of basic and clinical research that seeks to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure.

Dr. Beckel-Mitchener joined NIH in 2004 and has overseen several large programs and collaborative projects, including management of the Functional Neurogenomics program at NIMH, the Common Fund’sSingle Cell Analysis Program , and theBrain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative Cell Census Network  (BICCN). She continues to serve as the Deputy Director of theBRAIN Initiative  and has held multiple leadership positions within NIMH.

Dr. Beckel-Mitchener completed her Ph.D. in Molecular Neuroscience at The University of New Mexico. Prior to joining NIH, she worked as a staff scientist at GlaxoSmithKline and as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Beckel-Mitchener was named Acting NIMH Director following the departure of former Acting Director, Shelli Avenevoli, Ph.D., in April 2025. Dr. Beckel-Mitchener will continue to serve in this role while NIH conducts a national search for a replacement.