Prof. Pratima Murthy

Dr. Pratima Murthy is Director and Senior Professor of Psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, and a nationally and internationally recognized leader in addiction psychiatry. With over three decades of experience in clinical care, research, and academic leadership, she has been instrumental in establishing the Centre for Addiction Medicine at NIMHANS as a national centre of excellence.

Dr. Murthy received her MBBS from Bangalore Medical College and completed her DPM and MD (Psychological Medicine) from NIMHANS. She has served as a consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and International Labour Organization (ILO), contributing to policy, training, and guideline development in substance use and tobacco control.

A prolific researcher, she has authored over 300 publications and received numerous honors, including the WHO Regional Director’s Special Recognition Award and the Dr. Raja Ramanna State Award.