People

Palamar-276-303
Joseph Palamar, PhD, MPH
NYU Langone Health - Professor, Department of Population Health
Email: joseph.palamar@nyu.edu
Education
PhD, Public Health, New York University
MPH, Public Health, New York University
MA, Educational Psychology, New York University
BA, Forensic Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Research Interests
Epidemiology of illicit drug use, club drugs, new psychoactive substances, stigma, risky sexual intercourse
BIO
Joseph Palamar’s research and publication record reflect his commitment to investigate the epidemiology of drug use. He has a diverse background in psychology, epidemiology, and in the study of drug use, and specializes in psychosocial correlates of drug use. He has focused heavily on the epidemiology of new psychoactive substance use, “club drug” use, and drug-related risky sexual behavior — especially within the electronic dance music (EDM) nightclub and festival scene. He also has extensive experience analyzing data from large national datasets such as Monitoring the Future and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Projects
Principal Investigator, A Pilot Life-Course Analytic Framework for Analyzing Comorbidity Clusters among Individuals with HIV and Substance Use. Active
Principal Investigator, Investigating the Ketamine Landscape: Availability, Medical and Recreational Use, and Effects. Active
Principal Investigator, New Psychoactive Substance Exposure among NYC Nightclub and Festival Attendees. Active
Principal Investigator, Novel Methods for Estimating the Prevalence of Drug Use among Older Adults. Active
Principal Investigator, Development of a Rapid Survey to Detect Use of New and Emerging Drugs. Completed
Principal Investigator, Drug Use Among Nightclub and Dance Festival Attendees in New York City. Completed
Principal Investigator, Pilot Study Examining the Sexual Effects of Cannabis Use. Completed
Principal Investigator, Pilot Study to Collect Saliva and Follow-up Survey Response Rates among EDM Party Attendees. Completed
Principal Investigator, Use of Psychoactive Drugs and Sexual Risk Behavior among Nightclub and Festival Attendees. Completed
Publications

Recent

Palamar JJ, Abukahok N, Denn MT, Acosta P, Cleland CM, Walton SE, Stang B, Krotulski AJ (2026).
Detection of party drugs on mobile phones in relation to self-reported use and oral fluid detection among NYC nightclub attendees
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs [Epub 2026 Mar 19]. doi: 10.15288/jsad.26-00031.

Fitzgerald ND, Palamar JJ, Cadet K, Rowan E, Bruzelius E, Martins SS (2026).
Cannabis legalization and law enforcement drug seizures: A state-level analysis of cannabis policy effects on cannabis seizures in the United States, 2010-2023
International Journal of Drug Policy [Epub 2026 Mar 10]. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2026.105217.

Fitzgerald ND, Palamar JJ (2026).
Commentary on Roberts et al.: Trends in methamphetamine-related deaths in the UK and USA-increasing mortality, but in different contexts
Addiction, 121 (3), 686-687. doi: 10.1111/add.70305. PMCID: PMC12834374.

Fitzgerald ND, Palamar JJ, Cottler LB (2026).
Self-reported adverse effects associated with new psychoactive substance use in a sample of adults from 20 US cities
Drug and Alcohol Review, 45 (2), e70119. doi: 10.1111/dar.70119. PMCID: PMC13005137.

Abukahok N, Fitzgerald ND, Palamar JJ (2025).
An update on the epidemiology of tusi (“pink cocaine”)
Current Addiction Reports, 12, 90. doi: 10.1007/s40429-025-00706-y. PMCID: PMC12826529.

Dr. Palamar's MyBibliography Profile
Selected Press