Rate My Professor Sivakumar Thurairajasingam

Associate Professor Sivakumar Thurairajasingam is Associate Professor (Practice) in Psychiatry and Deputy Head (Education) of the Clinical School Johor Bahru in the Malaysia Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences at Monash University Malaysia. He obtained his MBBS from the University of Mangalore, India in 1994 and Master of Medicine in Psychiatry from Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2002, along with a Certificate in Clinical Hypnosis from the London College of Clinical Hypnosis in 2007. His career history includes serving as House Officer in hospitals in India and Malaysia from 1993 to 1996, Medical Officer at Hospital Kota Bharu from 1996 to 1997, Psychiatric Trainee at various hospitals from 1997 to 2002, Clinical Psychiatrist at Hospital Permai Johor Bahru from 2002 to 2003, and Psychiatrist there until 2006. He joined Monash University Malaysia in August 2006 as a lecturer and Consultant Psychiatrist, advancing to Senior Lecturer from 2006 to 2015 and Associate Professor since 2015. Prior roles encompass Head of the Substance Abuse Unit and Coordinator of the Psychiatry Research Unit at Hospital Permai, State Coordinator of the National Methadone Maintenance Programme, and establishing clinics such as the Substance Abuse Clinic, Drug Substitution Therapy Clinic, Johor Bahru Anti-Narcotic Agency Methadone Substitution Clinic, and Addiction Liaison Unit at Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru.

His academic interests center on addiction psychiatry, mood disorders, and harm reduction, with recent research exploring the gut-brain axis, probiotics in conditions including major depressive disorder, insomnia, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and long COVID psychological symptoms, as well as gut microbiome roles in inflammatory diseases like myasthenia gravis and psoriasis. Notable publications include 'Pilot Trial of Probiotics in Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Approach' (2025), 'The Impact of Antidepressants on Gut Microbiome and Depression Management' (2024), 'Self-help digital mental health intervention in improving burnout and mental health outcomes among healthcare workers: A narrative review' (2024), 'Bacillus causii: potential probiotic effects beyond gastrointestinal diseases' (2024), and chapters in 'Handbook on the Management of Substance Abuse in Malaysia' (2014) on topics like MDMA, hallucinogens, cannabis, substance use in pregnancy, and psychological treatments. Awards include ITEX'24 Silver Award for the 'MOBOT' mental health app (2024), Silver Medal at Malaysia Technology Expo 2023 for MoBOT, PVC Award for Excellence in Teaching & Education (2008), Excellent Service Award from National Anti Drug Agency (2011), and best research paper/poster prizes (2001-2004). He serves as a certified national trainer for drug substitution therapy programs and holds positions in associations like Addiction Medicine Association of Malaysia.