Professor Sambasivamoorthy Sivayokan, Professor of Psychiatry and Head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Jaffna, was awarded the Professor Kandiah Balasubramaniam Gold Medal at the 32nd Annual Scientific Sessions of the Jaffna Science Association for his outstanding achievement and contribution to the scientific advancement in the field of mental health and psychiatry that helped shape the lives of many, both locally and nationally.
The 32nd Annual Scientific Sessions of the Jaffna Science Association (JSA) was held from the 20th to the 22nd of May 2026, bringing together academics, researchers, professionals, and students to celebrate scientific excellence and innovation. The inaugural session was held on the 20th of May 2026 at the Library Auditorium of the University of Jaffna, where Prof. S. Sivayokan was honored as the chief guest.
As part of the proceedings, Professor S. Sivayokan delivered an inspiring Gold Medal Award Lecture titled ‘Developing Mental Health Services in Low-Resource Settings: An Art that Embraces the Science,’ in which he highlighted the challenges and opportunities in strengthening mental health services within resource-constrained environments and emphasized the importance of integrating scientific evidence, innovation, and compassionate care to improve mental health outcomes.
