Education and medical career Gupta attended
Princeton University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2005. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2011, and completed his residency in
internal medicine at
University of Washington. where he later was the company's
chief medical officer across a range of efforts, including the lead for COVID-19 response and later their Devices and Services group Also in 2020, he left Swedish Medical and joined the
Virginia Mason Medical Center; he remains an affiliate faculty member at the
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and
Evans School; both organizations are part of the
University of Washington in Seattle. as an
NBC News and
MSNBC medical contributor on issues related to the
COVID-19 pandemic and other public health issues.
Political Speculation In July 2022,
Politico first reported that Gupta was the leading candidate for a top role within the
Biden administration, specifically as Principal Medical Advisor to the
US Food and Drug Administration. In this role, Gupta would have been "charged primarily with improving the FDA's image and boosting public trust in the agency as a public health authority." It was later reported he declined the position due to family considerations. This follows prior speculation that Gupta was short-listed for
United States Surgeon General Other ventures and honors Gupta has delivered several major healthcare keynotes, including at
South by Southwest as a featured speaker in 2024, where he discussed how the myriad ways technology is impacting the delivery of care to patients across the United States; as a recurring moderator at Aspen Ideas Health Festival; and as a headliner for major events. In January of 2026, Gupta was announced as the recipient of the Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Award Recipient by the Rutgers University School of Public Health, given in recognition of his "extraordinary" contributions to the field. He will also serve as the school's 40th commencement speaker during its May 2026 ceremony. Gupta was also tapped as the 2026 commencement speaker for the
Kaiser Permanente Bernard J Tyson School of Medicine, citing his role as a national public health leader. Gupta is on the board of directors of the American Lung Association,
Center for Environmental Health and Climate Solutions. He is also a life Member of the
Council on Foreign Relations. == Awards and honors ==