Faculty Profile
Spruha Joshi, PhD, MPH
- Assistant Professor, Epidemiology
Dr. Spruha Joshi is a social epidemiologist whose research focuses on the ongoing
overdose crisis and rapidly shifting cannabis legalization landscape, with a particular
focus on reducing health disparities as they related to drug policy. Dr. Joshi has
an undergraduate degree psychology from Stony Brook University, an MPH in Epidemiology
from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and a PhD in Epidemiology
from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Joshi completed a postdoctoral fellowship at
the Center of Opioid Epidemiology and Policy at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
PhD, Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, 2020
MPH, Epidemiology, Columbia University, 2012
BS, Psychology, Stony Brook University, 2010
MPH, Epidemiology, Columbia University, 2012
BS, Psychology, Stony Brook University, 2010
Research Interests:
Opioids, Overdose, Cannabis Legalization, Health Equity, Health Disparities, Legal Epidemiology
Research Projects:
Cannabis Legalization. Investigating the downstream consequences of legalization on racial disparities in the criminal legal system, substance use, and mental health outcomes.
Overdose crisis. Evaluation of both state- and local-level laws and their impact on reducing harms related to the overdose crisis.
Opioids, Overdose, Cannabis Legalization, Health Equity, Health Disparities, Legal Epidemiology
Research Projects:
Cannabis Legalization. Investigating the downstream consequences of legalization on racial disparities in the criminal legal system, substance use, and mental health outcomes.
Overdose crisis. Evaluation of both state- and local-level laws and their impact on reducing harms related to the overdose crisis.
Joshi, S., Rivera, B. D., Cerdá, M., Guy, G. P., Strahan, A., Wheelock, H., & Davis, C. S.
(2023). One-year association of drug possession law change with fatal drug overdose in Oregon
and Washington. JAMA psychiatry
Joshi, S., Doonan, S. M., & Pamplin II, J. R. (2023). A tale of two cities: racialized arrests following decriminalization and recreational legalization of cannabis. Drug and alcohol dependence, 249, 109911.
Davis, C. S., Joshi, S., Rivera, B. D., & Cerdá, M. (2023). Changes in arrests following decriminalization of low-level drug possession in Oregon and Washington. International Journal of Drug Policy, 119, 104155.
Joshi, S., Doonan, S. M., & Pamplin II, J. R. (2023). A tale of two cities: racialized arrests following decriminalization and recreational legalization of cannabis. Drug and alcohol dependence, 249, 109911.
Davis, C. S., Joshi, S., Rivera, B. D., & Cerdá, M. (2023). Changes in arrests following decriminalization of low-level drug possession in Oregon and Washington. International Journal of Drug Policy, 119, 104155.
Areas of Expertise: Health Equity, Opioids, Social Epidemiology, Substance Use