Dr. Bharati Kulkarni is a senior public health scientist and clinician-researcher, currently serving as Scientist-F and Head of the Division of Clinical Studies at the Indian Council of Medical Research–National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN), Hyderabad. With a career spanning more than two decades, she has been deeply committed to advancing evidence-based nutrition and clinical research that informs national health policy and improves population health outcomes, particularly for women, children and vulnerable groups.

Trained as a medical doctor with advanced specialization in public health and clinical nutrition, Dr. Kulkarni has built a distinguished academic and research profile focused on maternal and child nutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, metabolic health, non-communicable diseases, and life-course epidemiology. At ICMR-NIN, she has led and contributed to several large-scale, multi-centric clinical and community-based studies that have generated critical evidence for national nutrition programmes and guidelines. Her work has played a pivotal role in shaping policy discourse on maternal nutrition, gestational health, infant and young child feeding, and the prevention of nutrition-related chronic diseases in India.

As Head of the Division of Clinical Studies, Dr. Kulkarni provides strategic leadership to complex clinical research initiatives, strengthening ethical, methodological and translational rigor across studies conducted at NIN and in collaboration with national and international partners. She is widely respected for her ability to bridge clinical science with public health implementation, ensuring that research findings translate into practical, scalable interventions. Her contributions extend beyond research to mentoring young scientists, strengthening institutional research capacity, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration within the public health ecosystem.

Dr. Kulkarni has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and has served on expert committees and advisory groups supporting the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and other national bodies. Through her sustained leadership, scientific integrity and commitment to public health impact, she continues to shape India’s nutrition and clinical research agenda, reinforcing ICMR-NIN’s role as a premier institution driving evidence-led health transformation in the country