Co-Founder & Public Health Researcher

Nannette Beckley

Nannette Beckley is a public health researcher and co-founder of Safe Mothers Initiative (SMI), a nonprofit dedicated to improving postpartum mental health outcomes in Sierra Leone through stigma-reduction education and integrated healthcare screening. SMI was born out of Ms. Beckley’s senior thesis research, which examined the relationship between exposure to community violence during pregnancy and postpartum depression among women in the United States. Her research sparked a broader interest in maternal mental health and the structural and social factors that shape maternal health outcomes. With family roots in Sierra Leone, she has become particularly passionate about addressing maternal health disparities in Sub-Saharan Africa and expanding access to culturally responsive postpartum mental health support. More broadly, Ms. Beckley has conducted research on maternal health policy and community-informed advocacy, including work aimed at making prenatal care more accessible and inclusive in New Jersey. Through SMI, she hopes to build on this experience by advancing postpartum mental health awareness, reducing stigma, and strengthening connections between women and healthcare services in Sierra Leone. Ms. Beckley is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and a Certificate in Public Health and Humanitarian Action at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, graduating magna cum laude. Her undergraduate research was recognized with the Beth N. Rom-Rymer Senior Thesis Prize in Global Health and Health Policy and the Dean Hank Dobin Prize in Community-Engaged Work.