Dr. Hemavathi Shanmugam is a psychiatrist and medical lecturer in the Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Malaya. Her primary area of interest is non-invasive brain stimulation in psychiatry. She holds certification in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS; PULSES, USA) and transcranial electrical stimulation (TES; PlatoScience, Denmark). She is an active member of global neuromodulation networks, including the Clinical TMS Society and its Asian Special Interest Council (CTMSS).

Clinically, Dr. Hemavathi led the implementation of the rTMS service for psychiatric disorders at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), a collaborative initiative with the Rehabilitation Medicine department, and has been formally credentialed and privileged by UMMC to perform TMS procedures.

Her research interests lie in neuromodulation and health economics, with ongoing work in cost-of-illness analyses, real-world clinical outcomes, and the cost-effectiveness of rTMS in Malaysia, supported by a BKP research grant.

Dr. Hemavathi is actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate psychiatry education and contributes to the development and credentialing of neuromodulation services within her department.

To strengthen her emerging focus in precision neuromodulation, she is undertaking an observership at the National University Hospital (NUH), Singapore, focusing on neuronavigation-guided and accelerated TMS protocols.