Paul S. Nestadt

Paul S. Nestadt, MD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is co-director of the Johns Hopkins Anxiety Disorders Clinic and is actively involved in clinical care, research, and training. His affiliations include the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions and the OCD genetics group.

Dr. Nestadt earned his MD from New York Medical College in 2011 and completed his residency in Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2015. He furthered his training with a Psychiatric Epidemiology Fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2018.

His research focuses on the epidemiology of suicide, particularly the roles of firearm access, opioid use, and social determinants such as living alone. He employs large-scale regression analysis, post-mortem clinical evaluation, and machine learning to study suicide risk and misclassification in overdose deaths. His clinical work centers on anxiety disorders, including PTSD, panic, and phobias, with expertise in exposure-based therapies.

The trends in his recent publications (2020–2025) highlight a strong emphasis on suicide prevention, firearm-related mortality, opioid and xylazine overdoses, and perinatal mental health. His work spans epidemiological studies, psychometric validation, and clinical perspectives, often integrating public health policy implications.

• RFM Paper of the Year, Maryland Psychiatric Society, 5/1/18
• Young Investigator Travel Award, America Psychopathological Association, 5/1/18
• James Wah Mood Disorders Fellow

Dr. Nestadt mentors trainees and collaborates extensively within the Johns Hopkins suicide prevention and OCD research groups. He has not disclosed any major grants, but his active publication record suggests ongoing research funding. He is a key contributor to national conversations on gun violence and suicide prevention through media engagement and policy-relevant research.

He leads clinical and research teams focused on anxiety disorders and suicide epidemiology. His lab collaborates with public health agencies and forensic departments to analyze manner of death data and improve suicide surveillance.