Nikhil Palekar, MD
Director
- American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) Certified Geriatric Psychiatrist
- Associate Professor, Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Neurology and Medicine; Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University
- Director, Stony Brook Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease, Stony Brook Medicine
- Director, Stony Brook Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Trials Program, Stony Brook Medicine
- Director, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Stony Brook University Hospital
- Director, Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Program, Stony Brook University Hospital
- Vice Chair, Psychiatry Ambulatory Clinical Affairs, Stony Brook Medicine
Dr. Palekar joined Stony Brook Medicine from New York – Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center where he was chief of a specialized program for treatment refractory mood, cognitive and psychotic disorders. He is the principal investigator of a center grant for Alzheimer’s disease supported by the New York State Department of Health and has received funding for multiple research studies from National Institutes of Health (NIH), Alzheimer’s Foundation of American and the Alzheimer’s Association. He is also a principal investigator for several industry sponsored clinical trials studying cutting edge treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. Dr. Palekar has presented his research at both national and international conferences. His current research focus is on using multimodal biomarkers to study neuroinflammation, cognitive impairment and mood disorders in older adults.
Dr. Palekar is a gifted educator, mentor and supervisor to medical students, residents, and geriatric fellows. In 2016, Dr. Palekar was the recipient of the prestigious Planetree – Physician of the Year Award for excellence in patient-centered care. In April 2023, the Town of Brookhaven honored Dr. Palekar’s clinical and scientific contributions in the field of Alzheimer’s Disease by proclaiming April 27th, 2023, as Dr. Nikhil Palekar, MD Day in the Town of Brookhaven.
Dr. Palekar received his medical degree at the University of Pune, India. He completed his residency in psychiatry and fellowship in geriatric psychiatry at the State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, where he served as Chief Resident. Following his training, Dr. Palekar joined the Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry. He is a member of the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry, Medical Advisory Council for the Alzheimer’s Association of Long Island, and the Alzheimer’s Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment.