The head of a globally recognized research institute at a top Manhattan medical school “gaslit” female underlings to push them out in favor of younger male employees, a new lawsuit charges.

Prabhjot Singh, director of the Arnhold Institute for Global Health, which is part of Mount Sinai Health System’s Icahn School of Medicine, is accused of being “abusive, dismissive and hostile” toward the staff of mostly older women after he was appointed to the top post in 2015.

Seven of the women and one male employee filed a lawsuit against Singh and others in Manhattan federal court on April 26, alleging sex and age discrimination.

“Singh declared that he wanted to work only with young people,” said the suit, which was first reported by Science magazine. “He promptly set about denigrating and humiliating the Institute’s existing employees who had been responsible for its success, most of them older women.”

The plaintiffs accuse Singh of turning the institute into an “unhappy and tumultuous workplace” for women so they would voluntarily quit — “or be set up to fail.”

By the end of 2018, 13 women had left, according to the suit.

“He was a brilliant ‘gaslighter,’ skilled at convincing people that abrupt shifts in his directives were nothing of the kind, or were their fault,” the complaint alleged. “Employees began taking notes during every conversation to reassure themselves they were not crazy when Singh tried to blame them later.”

Singh is also accused of doing nothing to curb disturbing behavior by other Mount Sinai employees, including Bruno Silva, who allegedly “regularly called women ‘bitches’ and ‘c—ts.’ ”

The suit claims Singh had been tapped for the top post by the medical school’s dean, Dennis Charney, even though a search committee had recommended a female candidate.

In an email to the female candidate, Charney allegedly blasted her as “AN IDIOT,” court papers read.

The suit claims Mount Sinai continues to back Singh in order to keep funding to the Arnhold institute flowing.

Singh, Charney and Silva could not be reached.

In 2013, Singh, who is a Sikh, was the victim of a hate-filled attack in which he was called a “terrorist” and beatn in front of his wife and then-1-year-old son in Upper Manhattan.

“Someone yelled, ‘Get Osama, get him,’ and ‘terrorist!’ ” Singh said at the time. “Someone grabbed my beard and hit me on my chin.”

It’s unclear if any arrests were made.

Mount Sinai said in a statement that it plans to “vigorously defend the action.”

“Consistent with the School of Medicine’s longstanding commitment to equity and inclusion, when employees in the Institute for Global Health brought concerns to our attention last year, we promptly initiated an internal review after which appropriate steps were taken,” the statement said.

In memo sent to staff, Mount Sinai CEO Kenneth Davis said “the investigation did not substantiate the allegations of discrimination against employees.”