Prof. Dr. Nikkil Sudharsanan

Academic Career and Research Areas

Prof. Sudharsanan is a behavioral scientist and health economist. His research uses behavioral science insights to design and evaluate interventions to improve the delivery and use of preventive health services in low- and middle-income countries. His work pays particular attention to the forces that shape individuals’ health decisions and provider’s care behavior. His current work is focused on aging middle-income countries in Asia and Africa and healthcare services for preventing cardiovascular diseases.

Prof. Sudharsanan is a Rudolf Mößbauer Assistant Professor and head of the Professorship of Behavioral Science for Prevention and Care. He previously was a David E. Bell Postdoctoral Fellow at the Harvard University and an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at Heidelberg University. Prof. Sudharsanan has a bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Public Health in Global Health from Emory University, and a Master in Statistics and a Ph.D. in Population Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Awards

• Best Lecturer Award, TUM School of Medicine and Health (2025)
• Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year Finalist (2022)
• Elected to the Delta Omega Honorary Society for Public Health (2013)