Sanjay Gupta

Sanjay Gupta
Gupta in 2021
Sanjay Gupta
Born	23 10, 1969
Birthplace	Novi, Michigan, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Neurosurgeon, medical journalist, author
Employer	CNN, Emory University School of Medicine, Grady Memorial Hospital
Known for	Chief medical correspondent for CNN
Education	University of Michigan (B.S., M.D.)
Children	3
Awards	Multiple Emmy Awards

Sanjay Gupta (born October 23, 1969) is an American neurosurgeon, medical journalist, and author who has served as the chief medical correspondent for CNN since 2001. A practicing neurosurgeon who holds positions as associate chief of the neurosurgery service at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, and as an associate professor of neurosurgery at the Emory University School of Medicine, Gupta occupies an unusual position at the intersection of clinical medicine and broadcast journalism. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Over the course of more than two decades in television, Gupta has received multiple Emmy Awards for his reporting, which has spanned coverage of natural disasters, armed conflicts, and public health crises including the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also the author of four books, including the novel Monday Mornings and the nonfiction works Chasing Life, Cheating Death, and Keep Sharp. His work has made him one of the most recognizable medical communicators in American media, and he has also served as a special correspondent for CBS News.

Early Life

Sanjay Gupta was born on October 23, 1969, in Novi, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. His parents are of Indian descent; his mother is Damyanti Gupta. His brother, Suneel Gupta, later became an author and entrepreneur.

Growing up in the suburbs of Michigan, Gupta came of age in an area with strong ties to the American automotive industry. Details of his childhood have occasionally surfaced in his public interviews and writing. In a 2025 interview with NPR, Gupta recalled a formative childhood experience involving pain, describing the day he impaled himself on a wrought iron fence at the age of twelve — an episode that he has cited as an early encounter with the medical system and the complexities of physical suffering.

Education

Gupta attended the University of Michigan, where he earned both his Bachelor of Science degree and his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the University of Michigan Medical School. He completed his residency training in neurosurgery, which prepared him for his later career as a practicing surgeon specializing in the brain and spine.

During his time at the University of Michigan, Gupta was involved in student organizations, including the Indian American Student Association (IASA), where he participated during the 1990–1991 academic year.

Career

Neurosurgery

Gupta has maintained an active clinical practice throughout his career in journalism, a dual role that distinguishes him from most broadcast medical correspondents. He serves as an associate chief of the neurosurgery service at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, one of the largest public hospitals in the southeastern United States. He also holds a faculty appointment as an associate professor of neurosurgery at the Emory University School of Medicine. His clinical and academic work has included research published in the Journal of Neurosurgery.

Gupta's surgical work has occasionally intersected with his journalism. In 2003, while embedded with a U.S. Navy medical unit during the Iraq War, Gupta performed emergency surgery on both American soldiers and Iraqi civilians, including a operation on an Iraqi child. His actions in the field were reported by the U.S. Navy and drew attention to the dual nature of his professional identity as both a physician and a journalist. He later reflected on the experience of operating under wartime conditions in Iraq.

CNN and Broadcast Journalism

Gupta's career as a medical journalist has been centered at CNN, where he has served as chief medical correspondent for more than two decades. In this role, he has reported on a wide range of medical and public health topics, appearing regularly on programs including American Morning, Larry King Live, Anderson Cooper 360°, and CNN Tonight.

He hosted the long-running CNN program Sanjay Gupta MD, a weekly show focused on health and medical topics, for which he received multiple Emmy Awards. He also hosted the six-part miniseries Chasing Life, in which he explored health and wellness practices from around the world.

Gupta's field reporting has taken him to some of the most significant disaster zones and crisis events of the 21st century. His coverage from Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was among his most notable work. Reporting from inside the hospital as conditions deteriorated and patients faced dire circumstances, Gupta provided vivid accounts of the medical crisis unfolding in the city. This reporting earned him a 2006 Emmy Award for Outstanding Feature Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast.

In January 2010, following the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, Gupta traveled to the country to report on the disaster and its medical aftermath. His presence there was documented in photojournalistic coverage of the crisis.

COVID-19 Pandemic Coverage

During the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in early 2020, Gupta became one of the most prominent medical voices in American broadcast media. He served as a frequent contributor to numerous CNN programs covering the crisis and co-hosted a weekly town hall with Anderson Cooper that addressed public questions about the virus, vaccines, and public health measures. His role during the pandemic significantly increased his public visibility, as millions of Americans turned to television news for guidance on the rapidly evolving health crisis.

Medical Marijuana Reporting

Gupta has been notable for his reporting on the medical use of cannabis, which involved a public evolution of his position on the subject. He produced a series of documentary specials for CNN on medical marijuana, exploring the scientific evidence for its therapeutic applications as well as the legal and social controversies surrounding it.

Controversy with Michael Moore

In 2007, Gupta was involved in a public dispute with filmmaker Michael Moore regarding the CNN fact-check of Moore's documentary Sicko, which examined the American healthcare system. Moore criticized Gupta's reporting on the film, and the exchange between the two became a widely discussed media event. The disagreement centered on specific claims made in the documentary and Gupta's on-air analysis of those claims. The incident drew media commentary and analysis.

AI Deepfakes and Misinformation

In 2025, Gupta publicly addressed the growing problem of artificial intelligence-generated misinformation in health media after discovering that scammers were using his likeness in deepfake videos and doctored images to sell fraudulent health products. In a CNN segment, Gupta denounced the practice, stating "That's not me," and warned the public about the dangers of AI-generated health misinformation. The incident highlighted broader concerns about the exploitation of trusted public figures' identities for commercial fraud using emerging technology.

Podcast: Chasing Life

Gupta hosts the CNN podcast Chasing Life, which covers a range of health, science, and wellness topics. The podcast has explored subjects from pain management to the science of hibernation and its potential implications for space travel and medicine.

Writing Career

In addition to his work in television and neurosurgery, Gupta has written extensively for print media and has authored four books. He published a column in Time magazine.

His first book, Chasing Life: New Discoveries in the Search for Immortality to Help You Age Less Today, examined research into longevity and aging. His second book, Cheating Death: The Doctors and Medical Miracles that Are Saving Lives Against All Odds, explored cases of medical intervention in life-threatening situations.

Gupta's third book, Monday Mornings: A Novel, was a work of fiction drawing on his experience as a neurosurgeon. The novel depicted the behind-the-scenes culture of a hospital and the morbidity and mortality conferences where doctors review cases that resulted in complications or death. The novel was adapted into a television series, Monday Mornings, which aired on TNT in 2013.

His fourth book, Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age, was published in January 2021 and focused on brain health, cognitive decline prevention, and neuroscience-based strategies for maintaining mental acuity.

In September 2025, Gupta published another book on the subject of pain, drawing on both his personal experiences and his expertise as a neurosurgeon. In promoting the book, he spoke with NPR about the complexities of pain perception and treatment.

Conference and Public Speaking

Gupta co-hosts the health conference "Life Itself," along with Marc Hodosh, co-creator of TEDMED. The conference brings together figures from the medical, scientific, and wellness communities.

In December 2025, the American Psychiatric Association announced that Gupta would deliver the keynote address at the Opening Session of its 2026 Annual Meeting, scheduled for May 16, 2026. The APA described him as a "practicing neurosurgeon, bestselling author, and multiple Emmy Award–winning chief medical correspondent for CNN." Gupta was announced to speak on the intersection of storytelling and mental health.

Special Correspondent for CBS News

In addition to his primary role at CNN, Gupta has served as a special correspondent for CBS News, contributing medical reporting to the network's news programming.

Personal Life

Gupta has three children. He resides in the Atlanta, Georgia, area, where he maintains his clinical practice and academic appointment at Emory University.

His brother, Suneel Gupta, is an author and entrepreneur who has also made public appearances discussing health and wellness topics.

Recognition

Gupta has received multiple Emmy Awards over the course of his broadcast journalism career. His 2006 Emmy Award for Outstanding Feature Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast recognized his reporting from Charity Hospital in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He has received additional Emmy Awards for his work on Sanjay Gupta MD and other CNN programming.

Gupta is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest professional distinctions in the fields of health and medicine in the United States. He is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He has been invited to deliver keynote addresses and lectures at major medical and academic institutions, including a commencement address at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.

His work has been recognized by professional journalism organizations, and he has been the subject of profiles and coverage in major media outlets. A 2009 profile noted the breadth of his media presence and his unusual dual career as a surgeon and journalist.

Gupta has also been covered in university media, including the Emory Wheel, the student newspaper of Emory University, which has reported on his work and appearances at the institution.

Legacy

Through his sustained presence in both clinical neurosurgery and broadcast journalism, Gupta has become one of the most prominent physician-journalists in American media history. His ability to operate as a practicing surgeon while simultaneously serving as a chief medical correspondent for a major cable news network has defined a model of medical communication that bridges the gap between the clinical and public spheres.

His reporting during major crises — including Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake, the Iraq War, and the COVID-19 pandemic — has placed medical journalism at the center of some of the most significant news events of the early 21st century. By providing on-the-ground medical reporting in conflict and disaster zones, Gupta expanded the conventional boundaries of health journalism beyond the studio.

Gupta's work in educating the public about medical topics through television, podcasts, and books has reached audiences of millions. His Chasing Life podcast and his multiple nonfiction books have addressed topics ranging from brain health and longevity to pain management, contributing to public discourse on medicine and wellness.

His 2025 public stance against AI deepfakes exploiting his likeness underscored emerging challenges facing public figures in medicine and journalism, as artificial intelligence technology creates new avenues for health misinformation.

His election to both the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences reflects recognition from both the medical and broader intellectual communities of his contributions to public health communication.