Acclaimed Physician-Scientist Takes Charge
Dr Bharati Kulkarni, a distinguished physician-scientist, has officially taken over as the Director of the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) in Hyderabad. Her appointment comes after an illustrious career in the field of public health and nutrition.
Academic and Professional Background
Dr Kulkarni specializes in paediatrics and holds a Master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA. She earned her doctoral degree from Queensland University of Technology, Australia. With over 20 years of experience at ICMR-NIN, she most recently served as Head of the Division of Reproductive and Child Health and Nutrition at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in New Delhi.
Contributions to Public Health Nutrition
Dr Kulkarni has led numerous large-scale, multi-centric research projects focusing on maternal and child nutrition. Her work addresses critical issues such as anaemia, childhood undernutrition, developmental health origins, and body composition. She has also spearheaded community-based interventions promoting diet diversity and explored agriculture-nutrition linkages.
Her research has had a profound impact on health and nutrition policies, including ICMR’s National Health Research Priority projects aimed at improving complementary feeding for young children and updating growth standards for Indian children.
Recognitions and Publications
Dr Kulkarni has received significant research grants from national and international agencies and has authored over 130 publications in renowned international journals. She has been honored with oration awards in memory of Dr Rajammal P Devadas and Dr PG Tulpule and is a Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences, India.
