Becki Cleveland, PhD

Becki Cleveland, PhD, is an epidemiologist and biostatistician at the University of North Carolina, where she serves as the Director for Biostatistical Operations at the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences (NC TraCS) Institute. Prior to this, she was a professor and the TARC Biostatistics Supervisor at the Thurston Arthritis Research Center, and a biostatistician in the Department of Orthopedics.

Cleveland received an undergraduate degree from Arkansas Tech University, where she studied biology. For two years, she served in the Peace Corps in Benin, after which she received an MPH in epidemiology from Tulane University. In 2003, Cleveland completed her doctoral degree in epidemiology at UNC, followed by post-doctoral fellowships at both UNC and the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France.

Much of Cleveland's research focuses on osteoarthritis and other rheumatological conditions. She is especially dedicated to research on health outcomes among people with arthritis and the social factors that may contribute to these diseases. At UNC, she has collaborated on several projects, including the Automated Reasoning and Interpretation for Early Lupus detected study (ARIEL). Cleveland is an author on more than 80 peer-reviewed publications, and she has been invited to give over a dozen presentations. She also serves as a statistical editor for Arthritis Care & Research.

In 2024, Cleveland was elected president of the Association of Rheumatology Professionals, which she has been a member of since 2011. In 2021, the ARP awarded her the President's Award in recognition of her service to the organization.