Dr Shinjini Bhatnagar is a Professor of Eminence who heads the maternal and child research at the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. She previously worked at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi for 25 years as a pediatric gastroenterologist and senior research scientist. Her group provided evidence-based recommendations in child health for global and national policy, notably a dietary algorithm for treatment of persistent diarrhea and the introduction of low osmolarity oral rehydration salts solution and zinc in treatment of diarrhea.
In recent years, Dr Bhatnagar has established large multidisciplinary research programmes that bridge classical epidemiology with modern science to find solutions for diseases that have major public health significance. The current focus is pre-term birth and fetal growth restriction. She is also working to develop diagnostics and low-cost health products for childhood diseases. As part of this, she coordinated the development of a rapid point of care test for diagnosis of celiac disease. Dr Bhatnagar is also involved in various capacities with organisations such as the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Dr Bhatnagar is a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, the National Academy of Medical Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. She has received numerous honours and awards over the course of her career, including recognition for research in Pediatric Gastroenterology at the 2nd World Congress of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition in 2004; the Hotam Tomar Gold Medal in recognition of excellent scientific contribution and services in Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition in 1995; and the Dr ST Achar Gold Medal Award for Research in Child Health in 1989. She has a Ph.D. in Pediatrics from AIIMS, New Delhi.
