Rahul Gupta
{{Short description|American physician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Rahul Gupta
| image = Rahul Gupta, ONDCP Director.jpg
| office = Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
| president = Joe Biden
| term_start = November 5, 2021
| term_end = January 20, 2025
| predecessor = Regina LaBelle (acting)
| successor = Jon Rice (acting)
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|47|2018|5|2}}
| birth_place = India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = Delhi University (MD)
University of Alabama, Birmingham (MPH)
London School of Business and Finance (MBA)
}}
Rahul Gupta (born 1970 or 1971){{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/05/02/west-virginia-opioids-immigrant-doctor-solution-218118/ |title=The Immigrant Doctor Who's Solving West Virginia's Opioids Crisis |work=Politico |date=May 2, 2018 |accessdate=July 27, 2021 |first=Brianna |last=Ehley}} is an American physician from the state of West Virginia. In 2021, he was appointed to serve as director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy by President Joe Biden. He formerly served at the helm of the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health.
Early life
Gupta was born in India and raised in a suburb of Washington, D.C. His father is a diplomat. Gupta earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University College of Medical Sciences of Delhi University. He earned a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He worked as an assistant professor of medicine at Meharry Medical College and at UAB.{{Cite web|url=https://wvmetronews.com/2014/12/15/gupta-ready-for-chief-health-officer-role/|title=Gupta ready for chief health officer role|first=Aaron|last=Payne|date=December 15, 2014}}
Medical career
Gupta ran the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department from 2009 to 2014.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsaz.com/2020/11/11/former-kanawha-charleston-health-dept-director-wva-health-officer-named-to-biden-transition-team/|title=Former Kanawha-Charleston Health Dept. director, W.Va. Health Officer named to Biden transition team|first=WSAZ News|last=Staff|website=www.wsaz.com|date=November 11, 2020 }} He became the director of the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, an agency housed within the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, in 2015.{{Cite web |date=2014-12-04 |title=Dr. Rahul Gupta to lead DHHR's Bureau for Public Health |url=https://www.wvnews.com/theet/news/press_releases/dr-rahul-gupta-to-lead-dhhr-s-bureau-for-public-health/article_37114d32-7bcc-11e4-807b-779f572dc1a9.html |access-date=2023-06-27 |website=WV News |language=en}}
In this role, he focused on reducing overdose deaths from the opioid epidemic.{{Cite web|url=https://politi.co/2w55bYW|title=The Immigrant Doctor Who's Solving West Virginia's Opioids Crisis|first=Brianna|last=Ehley|website=POLITICO Magazine|date=May 2, 2018 }} He also led West Virginia's response to the Zika virus and Ebola epidemics.{{Cite web |last=Kumar |first=Arun |date=2021-07-14 |title=Indian Americans, Atul Gawande, Rahul Gupta to get key health roles - The American Bazaar |url=https://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2021/07/14/indian-americans-atul-gawande-rahul-gupta-to-get-key-health-roles-446344/,%20https://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2021/07/14/indian-americans-atul-gawande-rahul-gupta-to-get-key-health-roles-446344/ |access-date=2023-06-27 |language=en-US}} He left the role in 2018 to become the chief medical officer of the March of Dimes, a nonprofit organization.{{cite web|last=McElhinny |first=Brad |url=https://wvmetronews.com/2018/09/18/gupta-leaving-state-bureau-of-public-health/ |title=Gupta leaving state Bureau of Public Health |publisher=WV MetroNews |date=September 18, 2018 |accessdate=July 13, 2021}}
Biden administration
Gupta was the lead member of the 2020 presidential transition of Joe Biden for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).{{Cite web|url=https://wchstv.com/news/local/dr-rahul-gupta-part-of-presidential-transition-team|title=Dr. Rahul Gupta, former top W.Va. health official, part of presidential transition team|first=SARAH|last=LIEU|date=November 11, 2020|website=WCHS}} Biden nominated him to be director of the ONDCP on July 13, 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/13/biden-drug-czar-rahul-gupta-499478|title=Biden picks former West Virginia health official as drug czar|website=POLITICO|date=July 13, 2021 }} His nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 28,{{Cite web|url=https://wvmetronews.com/2021/10/29/us-senate-confirms-gupta-as-white-house-drug-czar/|title=US Senate confirms Gupta as White House drug czar|date=October 29, 2021}} and he was sworn into office on November 18.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/west-virginias-dr-rahul-gupta-is-now-the-nations-drug-czar/|title=West Virginia's Dr. Rahul Gupta is now the nation's Drug Czar|date=November 18, 2021}}
Upon taking office, Gupta noted that addressing “the overdose epidemic that has claimed more than 100,000 lives between April 2020 and April 2021” would be his priority.{{Cite web|date=November 18, 2021|title=@DrGupta46|url=https://twitter.com/drgupta46/status/1461685516018061315|website=Twitter}} In office, he has pushed for funding opioid addiction treatment programs for incarcerated individuals.{{Cite news |last=Weiland |first=Noah |date=2023-04-21 |title=In Jails and Prisons, the White House Sees a Chance to Curtail Opioid Overdoses |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/21/us/politics/prisons-opioid-addiction-treatment.html |access-date=2023-06-27 |issn=0362-4331}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{C-SPAN|131621}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=Regina LaBelle
Acting}}
{{s-ttl|title=Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy|years=2021–2025}}
{{s-aft|after=Jon Rice
Acting}}
{{s-end}}
{{DrugCzar}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gupta, Rahul}}
Category:American physicians of Indian descent
Category:Biden administration personnel
Category:Delhi University alumni
Category:Directors of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Category:Indian emigrants to the United States
Category:Physicians from Charleston, West Virginia