Alex Beesley, MD

Alex Beesley earned his undergraduate degree in religion and neuroscience from Emory University and completed his medical degree at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. He is a member of both Alpha Omega Alpha and the Gold Humanism Honor Society and received multiple academic honors for excellence in both neuroscience and religious studies. Alex is the founding president of Spiritually Informed Medicine, a student-led initiative integrating cultural and religious perspectives into clinical care and contributed to scholarship in spiritual history-taking. He is also deeply engaged in medical humanities as a gold-level HEALER Scholar and participates in community service addressing food insecurity. Outside of medicine, he enjoys running, community involvement, and exploring the intersection of humanities and patient care.

• Hometown: Effingham, IL
• Professional Interests: Interventional Pscyhiatry (ECT and Psychedelic-assisted treatments), Psychotherapy
• Future Plans: Undecided on fellowship or specifics for future career paths
• Memberships: Alpha Omega Alpha, Gold Humanism Honor Society, American Psychiatric Association, American Medical Association, The Association of Medicine and Psychiatry
• Hobbies: Basketball, Running, Strength Training, Movies, Foodie: some cooking but mostly exploring all types of restaurants around the city

• MD, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, 2026
• BS, Emory University, 2022

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles/Abstracts

• Flamenbaum L, Kochoian B, Wakeford A, Siebert ER, Morin E, Beesley BA, Kovacs-Balint Z, Styner M, Nader M, Howell L, Sanchez MM. Long-Term Structural Effects of Early Life Stress on Reward and Emotion Regulation Circuitry in Adolescence. Biological Psychiatry. May 2021; 89(9):S275-S276.

Peer Reviewed Book Chapters

• Beesley BA. Chapter 54: Schizotypal Personality Disorder. In: Toy EC, Klamen DL, ed. Case Files Psychiatry, Seventh Edition. McGraw Hill / Medical; 2025: Accepted/In Press.
• Beesley BA. Chapter 55: Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In: Toy EC, Klamen DL, ed. Case Files Psychiatry, Seventh Edition. McGraw Hill / Medical; 2025: Accepted/In Press.
• Beesley BA. Chapter 56: Paranoid Personality Disorder. In: Toy EC, Klamen DL, ed. Case Files Psychiatry, Seventh Edition. McGraw Hill / Medical; 2025: Accepted/In Press.
• Beesley BA. Chapter 57: Borderline Personality Disorder. In: Toy EC, Klamen DL, ed. Case Files Psychiatry, Seventh Edition. McGraw Hill / Medical; 2025: Accepted/In Press.

Poster Presentations

• Beesley BA, Lebovic R, Reddy V, Siebert ER, Kovacs-Balint Z, Styner M, Howell L, Kazama AM, Sanchez MM. Annual Society for Neuroscience Conference. Poster presented: Long-term Effects of Early Life Stress and Adolescence Psychostimulant Use on Adult Emotional Regulation and Underlying Neurocircuitry: a Nonhuman Primate Study. San Diego, CA, Unted States of America; 11/13/2022.
• Hong C, Beesley BA, Kandra K. Illinois Psychiatric Society Annual Meeting. Poster presented: Recurrent Antipsychotic-Induced Priapism in a Patient with Schizoaffective Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Report and Literature Review. Countryside, IL, United States of America; 09/06/2025.
• Hong C, Beesley BA, Kandra K. Annual Association for Medicine and Psychiatry Meeting. Poster presented: Recurrent Antipsychotic-Induced Priapism in a Patient with Schizoaffective Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Report and Literature Review. Newport Beach, CA, United States of America; 09/06/2025.
• Lebovic R, Kovacs-Balint Z, Beesley BA, Siebert ER, Vlasova R, Styner M, Howell L, Nader M, Kazama AM, Sanchez MM. Annual Society for Neuroscience Conference. Poster presented: Long-term Structural Effects of Infant Maltreatment on Neurocircuits Underlying Adult Emotional Regulation: a Nonhuman Primate Study. Washington D.C., DC, United States of America; 11/14/2023. 
• Reddy V, Kovacs-Balint Z, Beesley BA, Siebert ER, Feczko E, Earl E, Styner M, Howell A, Nader A, Fair D, Kazama AM, Sanchez MM. Annual Society for Neuroscience Conference. Poster presented: Long-term Impact of Early Life Stress on Functional Connectivity of Adult Emotional Neurocircuits in Rhesus Macaques. Washington D.C., DC, United States of America; 11/14/2023. 
• Woudenberg K, Brindle M, Natof T, Beesley BA. Annual Association for Medicine and Psychiatry Meeting. Poster presented: Serotonin Syndrome: A Subtle Presentation. Milwaukee, WI, United States of America; 10/04/2024. 

Oral Presentations

• Beesley BA. Regulators of G Protein Signaling in the Cochlea Mediates Cisplatin-Induced Hearing Loss. Oral presentation: SIU Mentored Professional Enrichment Experience Research Symposium; 08/24/2023. Springfield, IL, United States of America.
• Beesley BA. Bridging Science and Spirit: A Holistic Vision for Medicine. Oral presentation: Annual SIU Teaching and Learning Symposium; 04/17/2025. Springfield, IL, United States of America.