Dr. Hemavathi Shanmugam is a psychiatrist and medical lecturer at the Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Malaya. She leads the psychiatric application of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) services for treatment-resistant depression and other psychiatric disorders at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), in collaboration with Prof. Mazlina Mazlan, Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine.

Dr. Hemavathi is formally certified in TMS (USA) and actively participates in global neuromodulation communities through the Clinical TMS Society and the Asian Special Interest Council (CTMSS).

Her current research examines the real-world clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of rTMS in the Malaysian context, supported by a BKP research grant. She is also actively involved in postgraduate psychiatry education and credentialing for neuromodulation procedures.

Looking ahead, Dr. Hemavathi is interested in developing personalized, circuit-based brain stimulation protocols to support the growth of precision psychiatry in low- and middle-income settings.