Rice University and Houston Methodist have jointly appointed Indian American leader Pothik Chatterjee as the inaugural executive director of their newly established Digital Health Institute. The announcement was made earlier this week, and Chatterjee officially stepped into the role on May 1, 2025. The institute, formed in December 2024, aims to transform the future of healthcare through cutting-edge digital innovation.
In his new position, the 41-year-old Chatterjee will oversee strategic planning, operations, innovation programs, and partnerships for the institute. His appointment is expected to strengthen the institute’s mission of merging advanced engineering and artificial intelligence capabilities from Rice with Houston Methodist’s clinical expertise to build robust and scalable digital health solutions.
The Digital Health Institute’s primary focus is to develop and apply technologies such as AI-powered diagnostics, wearable medical devices, remote patient monitoring tools, and telemedicine platforms. The goal is to enhance patient outcomes while also tackling disparities in healthcare access.
Welcoming Chatterjee, Ashutosh Sabharwal, chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice and co-director of the institute, stated, “Pothik’s leadership experience and vision make him a perfect fit as we aim to shape a groundbreaking digital health ecosystem rooted in both innovation and equity.”
Chatterjee brings over 15 years of executive-level experience in digital health, biotech, and health-equity innovation. Before joining the institute, he held senior roles at LifeBridge Health and the Greater Baltimore Committee, where he helped lead initiatives in collaboration with tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services to bring digital health innovations to hospitals and underprivileged communities.
Reflecting on his new role, Chatterjee said, “This is a unique opportunity to build a globally recognized digital health innovation hub. I’m excited to work at the convergence of technology, clinical excellence, and social impact.”
He will work under the joint leadership of Sabharwal and Dr. Khurram Nasir, Division Chief of Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness at Houston Methodist, who also co-directs the institute.
According to Rice University officials, the institute will initially concentrate on early disease detection, customized treatment pathways, and the implementation of digital care solutions that can scale across populations. The overarching vision is to bring scientific discovery from lab to bedside.
Originally from Kolkata, Chatterjee holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies from Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
This new initiative builds upon a history of collaboration between Rice and Houston Methodist, including projects like the Center for Neural Systems Restoration and the Center for Human Performance.
