Kartika Palar, PhD, MA

Associate Professor

My research focuses on addressing the drivers and consequences of health inequity in HIV and chronic disease. One stream of research investigates the impact of food insecurity and other unmet subsistence needs on health. A new stream of research examines the intersection of HIV, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and social determinants of health. Within these areas, I have a special interest in developing equitable community partnerships to design and evaluate program and policy solutions. I am interested in both safety-net interventions that address immediate needs, as well as policies that address upstream root causes of health inequity.

Current studies fall within one or more of the above research streams. I am PI of the 5-year NIH-funded Women, HIV/AIDS and Diabetes Study, or WAND Study, based within the US national Women’s Interagency HIV Study. WAND is using both qualitative and quantitative methods to understand the impact of social and economic barriers on HIV and diabetes health among women living with both conditions, with the goal of developing an intervention to improve HIV/diabetes co-management among women experiencing multiple vulnerabilities. I am also co-PI of the Changing Health through Food Support (CHEFS) Study, an RCT of comprehensive, medically appropriate food support to low-income, people with HIV in the San Francisco Bay Area in collaboration with Project Open Hand. I am co-leading the development of a community-based collaboration to evaluate urban gardens as a strategy to improve health among low-income people with diabetes in the Bay Area, and am involved with an urban garden intervention for people with HIV in the Dominican Republic. I am a co-investigator or collaborator on several other projects addressing food insecurity and health, and/or HIV/NCD co-morbidity, domestically and abroad.

My international work is largely based in Latin America, in collaboration with the World Food Programme and others. Finally, I have a strong commitment and passion for mentoring students and others with interest in issues of health equity, particularly those with backgrounds underrepresented in scientific research.

Education
Postdoctoral Fellowship - Social/Behavioral HIV Research, 2015 - Division of HIV, ID and Global Medicine, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
Postdoctoral Fellowship - Health Services Research, 2014 - UCLA School of Public Health, Dept of Health Policy and Mgmt, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
PhD - Policy Analysis, 2012 - Pardee RAND Graduate School, RAND Corporation
MA - International Affairs, 2006 - Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
BA - Development Studies & Ethnic Studies, 2001 - , Brown University
Honors and Awards
  • Early Career Award of Excellence in Behavioral Research, UCSF-Gladstone Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), 2017
Publications

  1. Celeste-Villalvir A, Then-Paulino A, Jimenez-Paulino G, Sheira LA, Acevedo R, Armenta G, Becker N, Han B, Derose KP, Palar K. Exploratory analysis of the effect of a food security intervention on alcohol use among people with HIV in the Dominican Republic. Drug and alcohol dependence 2026. PMID: 41764908


  2. Armenta G, Han B, Palar K, Then-Paulino A, Wagner GJ, Derose KP. Factors Associated With Stigma and Depression Among People Living With HIV and Food Insecurity in the Dominican Republic. Community health equity research & policy 2025. PMID: 40854578


  3. Palar K, Cox C. Modeling The Value Of 'Food Is Medicine': Challenges And Opportunities For Scaling Up Medically Tailored Meals. Health affairs (Project Hope) 2025. PMID: 40193841


  4. Palar K, Sheira LA, Frongillo EA, O'Donnell AA, Nápoles TM, Ryle M, Pitchford S, Madsen K, Phillips B, Riley ED, Weiser SD. Food is Medicine for HIV: Improved health and hospitalizations in the Changing Health through Food Support (CHEFS-HIV) pragmatic randomized trial. The Journal of infectious diseases 2024. PMID: 38696724


  5. Luk C, Palar K, Ludovic J, Cramer R, Gift TL, Horowitz R, Leichliter JS. Staffing and Budget Levels at Local Sexually Transmitted Disease Programs by County-Level Sociodemographic Characteristics During COVID-19. Sexually transmitted diseases 2025. PMID: 40047500


  6. Derose KP, Palar K, Then-Paulino A, Han B, Armenta G, Celeste-Villalvir A, Sheira LA, Jimenez-Paulino G, Acevedo R, Donastorg Y, Farías H, Wagner GJ. Changes in HIV Internalized and Experienced Stigmas and Social Support After an Urban Gardens and Peer Nutritional Counseling Intervention Among People With HIV and Food Insecurity in the Dominican Republic. Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) 2024. PMID: 39116332


  7. Celeste-Villalvir A, Palar K, Then-Paulino A, Wallace DD, Jimenez-Paulino G, Fulcar MA, Acevedo R, Derose KP. Perceived Impacts of Urban Gardens and Peer Nutritional Counseling for People Living With HIV in the Dominican Republic. Journal of nutrition education and behavior 2024. PMID: 38613552


  8. Palar K, Sheira LA, Frongillo EA, Kushel M, Wilson TE, Conroy AA, Adedimeji A, Merenstein D, Cohen MH, Wentz EL, Adimora AA, Ofotokun I, Metsch LR, Turan JM, Tien PC, Weiser SD. Longitudinal Relationship Between Food Insecurity, Engagement in Care, and ART Adherence Among US Women Living with HIV. AIDS and behavior 2023. PMID: 37067613


  9. Yu L, Madura A, Gil C, Hepfer P, Palar K. Assessing the Health Outcomes of the Food Access Pilot Project: An Evaluation of a Medically Supportive Food Support Program for People Living with HIV in Rural California Counties. 2022. PMID: 35122577


  10. Derose KP, Han B, Armenta G, Palar K, Then-Paulino A, Jimenez-Paulino G, Sheira LA, Acevedo R, Lugo C, Veloz I, Donastorg Y, Wagner G. Exploring antiretroviral therapy adherence, competing needs, and viral suppression among people living with HIV and food insecurity in the Dominican Republic. 2021. PMID: 34581230


  11. Sheira LA, Frongillo EA, Hahn J, Palar K, Riley ED, Wilson TE, Adedimeji A, Merenstein D, Cohen M, Wentz EL, Adimora AA, Ofotokun I, Metsch L, Turan JM, Tien PC, Weiser SD. Relationship between food insecurity and smoking status among women living with and at risk for HIV in the USA: a cohort study. BMJ open 2021. PMID: 34489299


  12. Leddy AM, Weiser SD, Palar K, Seligman H. A conceptual model for understanding the rapid COVID-19-related increase in food insecurity and its impact on health and healthcare. The American journal of clinical nutrition 2020. PMID: 32766740


  13. Chandran A, Edmonds A, Benning L, Wentz E, Adedimeji A, Wilson TE, Blair-Spence A, Palar K, Cohen M, Adimora A. Longitudinal Associations Between Neighborhood Factors and HIV Care Outcomes in the WIHS. 2020. PMID: 32170507


  14. Weiser SD, Sheira LA, Palar K, Kushel M, Wilson TE, Adedimeji A, Merenstein D, Cohen M, Turan JM, Metsch L, Adimora AA, Ofotokun I, Wentz E, Tien PC, Frongillo EA. Mechanisms from Food Insecurity to Worse HIV Treatment Outcomes in US Women Living with HIV. AIDS patient care and STDs 2020. PMID: 32941054


  15. Nagata JM, Palar K, Gooding HC, Garber AK, Tabler JL, Whittle HJ, Bibbins-Domingo K, Weiser SD. Food Insecurity, Sexual Risk, and Substance Use in Young Adults. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2020. PMID: 32682597


  16. Whittle HJ, Wolfe WR, Sheira LA, Frongillo EA, Palar K, Merenstein D, Wilson TE, Adedimeji A, Cohen MH, Wentz EL, Tien PC, Weiser SD. Associations between food insecurity and psychotropic medication use among women living with HIV in the United States. Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences 2020. PMID: 32248873


  17. Flórez KR, Payán DD, Palar K, Williams MV, Katic B, Derose KP. Church-based interventions to address obesity among African Americans and Latinos in the United States: a systematic review. 2020. PMID: 31539069


  18. Mendel P, Green HD, Palar K, Kanouse DE, Bluthenthal RN, Mata MA, Oden CW, Derose KP. Congregational involvement in HIV: A qualitative comparative analysis of factors influencing HIV activity among diverse urban congregations. 2019. PMID: 31931449


  19. Nagata JM, Palar K, Gooding HC, Garber AK, Whittle HJ, Bibbins-Domingo K, Weiser SD. Food Insecurity Is Associated With Poorer Mental Health and Sleep Outcomes in Young Adults. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2019. PMID: 31587956


  20. Nagata JM, Palar K, Gooding HC, Garber AK, Bibbins-Domingo K, Weiser SD. Food Insecurity and Chronic Disease in US Young Adults: Findings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Journal of general internal medicine 2019. PMID: 31576509


  21. Palar K, Lemus Hufstedler E, Hernandez K, Chang A, Ferguson L, Lozano R, Weiser SD. Nutrition and Health Improvements After Participation in an Urban Home Garden Program. Journal of nutrition education and behavior 2019. PMID: 31601420


  22. Nagata JM, Weiser SD, Gooding HC, Garber AK, Bibbins-Domingo K, Palar K. Association Between Food Insecurity and Migraine Among US Young Adults. JAMA neurology 2019. PMID: 31233123


  23. Whittle HJ, Sheira LA, Wolfe WR, Frongillo EA, Palar K, Merenstein D, Wilson TE, Adedimeji A, Weber KM, Adimora AA, Ofotokun I, Metsch L, Turan JM, Wentz EL, Tien PC, Weiser SD. Food insecurity is associated with anxiety, stress, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in a cohort of women with or at risk of HIV in the United States. The Journal of nutrition 2019. PMID: 31127819


  24. Reeder C, Neilands TB, Palar K, Saberi P. Food Insecurity and Unmet Needs Among Youth and Young Adults Living With HIV in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2019. PMID: 31196781


  25. Tuthill EL, Sheira LA, Palar K, Frongillo EA, Wilson TE, Adedimeji A, Merenstein D, Cohen MH, Wentz EL, Adimora AA, Ofotokun I, Metsch L, Kushel M, Turan JM, Konkle-Parker D, Tien PC, Weiser SD. Persistent Food Insecurity Is Associated with Adverse Mental Health among Women Living with or at Risk of HIV in the United States. The Journal of nutrition 2019. PMID: 30753638


  26. Payán DD, Derose KP, Fulcar MA, Farías H, Palar K. "It Was as Though My Spirit Left, Like They Killed Me": The Disruptive Impact of an HIV-Positive Diagnosis among Women in the Dominican Republic. 2019. PMID: 31109213


  27. Palar K, Frongillo EA, Escobar J, Sheira LA, Wilson TE, Adedimeji A, Merenstein D, Cohen MH, Wentz EL, Adimora AA, Ofotokun I, Metsch L, Tien PC, Turan JM, Weiser SD. Food Insecurity, Internalized Stigma, and Depressive Symptoms Among Women Living with HIV in the United States. AIDS and behavior 2018. PMID: 29948333


  28. Galaviz KI, Schneider MF, Tien PC, Mehta CC, Ofotokun I, Colasanti J, Marconi VC, Palar K, Wingood G, Adimora AA, Alcaide M, Cohen MH, Gustafson D, Karim R, Konkle-Parker D, Merenstein D, Sharma A, Ali MK. Predicting diabetes risk among HIV-positive and HIV-negative women. AIDS (London, England) 2018. PMID: 30289812


  29. Derose KP, Palar K, Farías H, Adams J, Martínez H. Developing Pilot Interventions to Address Food Insecurity and Nutritional Needs of People Living With HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean: An Interinstitutional Approach Using Formative Research. 2018. PMID: 30453759


  30. Whittle HJ, Sheira LA, Frongillo EA, Palar K, Cohen J, Merenstein D, Wilson TE, Adedimeji A, Cohen MH, Adimora AA, Ofotokun I, Metsch L, Turan JM, Wentz EL, Tien PC, Weiser SD. Longitudinal associations between food insecurity and substance use in a cohort of women with or at risk for HIV in the United States. Addiction (Abingdon, England) 2018. PMID: 30109752


  31. Colasanti J, Galaviz KI, Christina Mehta C, Palar K, Schneider MF, Tien P, Adimora AA, Alcaide M, Cohen MH, Gustafson D, Karim R, Merenstein D, Sharma A, Wingood G, Marconi VC, Ofotokun I, Ali MK. Room for Improvement: The HIV-Diabetes Care Continuum Over 15 Years in the Women's Interagency HIV Study. Open forum infectious diseases 2018. PMID: 29942823


  32. Palar K, Wong MD, Cunningham WE. Competing subsistence needs are associated with retention in care and detectable viral load among people living with HIV. 2018. PMID: 30505245


  33. Spinelli MA, Frongillo EA, Sheira LA, Palar K, Tien PC, Wilson T, Merenstein D, Cohen M, Adedimeji A, Wentz E, Adimora AA, Metsch LR, Turan JM, Kushel MB, Weiser SD. Food Insecurity is Associated with Poor HIV Outcomes Among Women in the United States. Volume 21 of Issue 12. AIDS and behavior 2017. PMID: 29119474


  34. Whittle HJ, Palar K, Ranadive NA, Turan JM, Kushel M, Weiser SD. "The land of the sick and the land of the healthy": Disability, bureaucracy, and stigma among people living with poverty and chronic illness in the United States. Volume 190. Social science & medicine (1982) 2017. PMID: 28865254


  35. Derose KP, Payán DD, Fulcar MA, Terrero S, Acevedo R, Farías H, Palar K. Factors contributing to food insecurity among women living with HIV in the Dominican Republic: A qualitative study. 2017. PMID: 28742870


  36. Derose KP, Ríos-Castillo I, Fulcar MA, Payán DD, Palar K, Escala L, Farías H, Martínez H. Severe food insecurity is associated with overweight and increased body fat among people living with HIV in the Dominican Republic. 2017. PMID: 28681631


  37. Palar K, Napoles T, Hufstedler LL, Seligman H, Hecht FM, Madsen K, Ryle M, Pitchford S, Frongillo EA, Weiser SD. Comprehensive and Medically Appropriate Food Support Is Associated with Improved HIV and Diabetes Health. Volume 94 of Issue 1. Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine 2017. PMID: 28097614


  38. Whittle HJ, Palar K, Seligman HK, Napoles T, Frongillo EA, Weiser SD. How food insecurity contributes to poor HIV health outcomes: Qualitative evidence from the San Francisco Bay Area. Volume 170. Social science & medicine (1982) 2016. PMID: 27771206


  39. Palar K, Laraia B, Tsai AC, Johnson MO, Weiser SD. Food insecurity is associated with HIV, sexually transmitted infections and drug use among men in the United States. Volume 30 of Issue 9. AIDS (London, England) 2016. PMID: 26990632


  40. Whittle HJ, Palar K, Napoles T, Hufstedler LL, Ching I, Hecht FM, Frongillo EA, Weiser SD. Experiences with food insecurity and risky sex among low-income people living with HIV/AIDS in a resource-rich setting. Volume 18. Journal of the International AIDS Society 2015. PMID: 26546789


  41. Derose KP, Felician M, Han B, Palar K, Ramírez B, Farías H, Martínez H. A pre-post pilot study of peer nutritional counseling and food insecurity and nutritional outcomes among antiretroviral therapy patients in Honduras. 2015. PMID: 26702362


  42. Whittle HJ, Palar K, Hufstedler LL, Seligman HK, Frongillo EA, Weiser SD. Food insecurity, chronic illness, and gentrification in the San Francisco Bay Area: An example of structural violence in United States public policy. Volume 143. Social science & medicine (1982) 2015. PMID: 26356827


  43. Palar K, Kushel M, Frongillo EA, Riley ED, Grede N, Bangsberg D, Weiser SD. Food Insecurity is Longitudinally Associated with Depressive Symptoms Among Homeless and Marginally-Housed Individuals Living with HIV. Volume 19 of Issue 8. AIDS and behavior 2015. PMID: 25351185


  44. Palar K, Derose KP, Linnemayr S, Smith A, Farías H, Wagner G, Martinez H. Impact of food support on food security and body weight among HIV antiretroviral therapy recipients in Honduras: a pilot intervention trial. 2014. PMID: 25429691


  45. Mendel P, Derose KP, Werber L, Palar K, Kanouse DE, Mata M. Facilitators and barriers to HIV activities in religious congregations: perspectives of clergy and lay leaders from a diverse urban sample. 2014. PMID: 23990037


  46. Martinez H, Palar K, Linnemayr S, Smith A, Derose KP, Ramírez B, Farías H, Wagner G. Tailored nutrition education and food assistance improve adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy: evidence from Honduras. 2014. PMID: 24788781


  47. Weiser SD, Palar K, Frongillo EA, Tsai AC, Kumbakumba E, Depee S, Hunt PW, Ragland K, Martin J, Bangsberg DR. Longitudinal assessment of associations between food insecurity, antiretroviral adherence and HIV treatment outcomes in rural Uganda. Volume 28 of Issue 1. AIDS (London, England) 2014. PMID: 23939234


  48. Palar K, Mendel P, Derose KP. The organization of HIV and other health activities within urban religious congregations. 2013. PMID: 23269603


  49. Palar K, Martin A, Oropeza Camacho ML, Derose KP. Livelihood experiences and adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy among participants in a food assistance pilot in Bolivia: a qualitative study. 2013. PMID: 23613976


  50. Linnemayr S, Ryan GW, Liu J, Palar K. Value for Money in Donor HIV Funding. 2012. PMID: 28083209


  51. Palar K, Wagner G, Ghosh-Dastidar B, Mugyenyi P. Role of antiretroviral therapy in improving food security among patients initiating HIV treatment and care. 2012. PMID: 22948270


  52. Linnemayr S, Ryan GW, Karir V, Liu J, Palar K. Negotiation Strategies for Antiretroviral Drug Purchasers in the United States. 2012. PMID: 28083266


  53. Bluthenthal RN, Palar K, Mendel P, Kanouse DE, Corbin DE, Derose KP. Attitudes and beliefs related to HIV/AIDS in urban religious congregations: barriers and opportunities for HIV-related interventions. 2012. PMID: 22445157


  54. Derose KP, Mendel PJ, Palar K, Kanouse DE, Bluthenthal RN, Castaneda LW, Corbin DE, Domínguez BX, Hawes-Dawson J, Mata MA, Oden CW. Religious congregations' involvement in HIV: a case study approach. 2011. PMID: 20953903


  55. Williams MV, Palar K, Derose KP. Congregation-based programs to address HIV/AIDS: elements of successful implementation. 2011. PMID: 21331749


  56. Martin A, Palar K, Derose KP, Adams J.. Food insecurity and nutritional barriers to antiretroviral therapy: Lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean Journal of HIV/AIDS and Social Services 2011. PMID:


  57. Palar K, Sturm R. Potential societal savings from reduced sodium consumption in the U.S. adult population. 2009. PMID: 19750962


  58. Bentley TG, Effros RM, Palar K, Keeler EB. Waste in the U.S. Health care system: a conceptual framework. 2008. PMID: 19120983