NDEWS is led by our research group from the University of Florida, New York University, and Florida Atlantic University.
Our Coordinating Center draws heavily on established and emerging public health surveillance methods and integrates expertise from multiple disciplines including epidemiology, forensic medicine, toxicology, psychiatry, sociology, bioinformatics, and artificial intelligence.
Leadership
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Director, MPI: Linda B. Cottler, PhD, MPH, FACE
Professor of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, and College of Medicine
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
Deputy Director, MPI: Joseph J. Palamar, PhD, MPH
Professor, Department of Population Health, New York University Langone Medical Center
FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY
Co-I: Elan Barenholtz, PhD
Co-Director of MPCR Lab, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Co-I: Bruce A. Goldberger, PhD
Professor and former Chief of Forensic Medicine Division, Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Co-I: Sara Jo Nixon, PhD
Director, Center for Addiction Research & Education; Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, College of Medicine, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Co-I: Catherine L. Striley, PhD, MSW, MPE
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, College of Medicine
NIDA
NaTional Institute On Drug Abuse
Project Officer: MeLisa Creamer, PhD, MPH
Deputy Branch Chief, Epidemiology Research Branch, Services and Prevention Research, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
National institute on Drug Abuse
Project Scientist: Erin Parker, PhD, CDR, USPHS
Social, and Behavioral Scientist Administrator, Epidemiology Research Branch, Division of Epidemiology, Services, and Prevention Research, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Staff
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Admin Coordinator: Tamara Millay
Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, College of Medicine
University of florida
Project Coordinator: Emmely Pavila
Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, College of Medicine
University of Florida
Marketing & Communications Specialist: Herb Brooks
Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, College of Medicine
NIDA T32 Alumni
- Daniel Van Zant, BS – PhD Candidate in Neuroscience, Florida Atlantic University
- Vijaya Seegulam, PhD – NIDA T32 Predoctoral Fellow, Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, College of Medicine
- Andrew McCabe, MPH, PhD
- Nicole D. Fitzgerald, PhD – NIDA T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Substance Abuse Epidemiology Training Program (SAETP), Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
- Anna Wang, PhD
- Nae Won, MPH, PhD – Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Last modified: 1/14/2026