Sukhi Shergill

Sukhi Shergill is Professor of Psychiatry at KMMS and Consultant Psychiatrist and Director of Research at the Kent wide NHS trust (KMPT) since October 2021. He is also Professor of Psychiatry and Systems Neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London (IoPPN-KCL). He trained in medicine at University College London (UCL), completing a BSc in Psychology before starting his psychiatry training at UCL and completing his higher training at the Maudsley Hospital London. He obtained his PhD at the Institute of Psychiatry KCL and was the recipient of several research fellowships before promotion to Professor in 2014. He heads the Cognition, Schizophrenia and Imaging Laboratory (CSI-Lab), comprising two-dozen academics, clinical researchers, PhD and other students. He was the founding director of the King’s centre for innovative therapies developing novel therapeutic approaches to mental health between industry and academics/clinicians within KCL. He led the MSc programmes in Mental Health Studies and Organisational Psychiatry and Psychology at KCL for a decade. He has been the recipient of several research and teaching awards; has had extensive grant funding from a range of governmental and charitable sources; published over 250 peer reviewed research publications and supervised more than 20 PhD students.

Professor Shergill’s work aligns with CHaI themes through its focus on the social, cognitive, and biological underpinnings of mental health and illness. He co-leads research on mental health among Sikhs with Professor Lisa Dikomitis, both in Kent and India. This research explores how cultural, religious, and social factors, including migration experiences, encounters with racism, and intergenerational dynamics, shape mental health in the Sikh community. Through ethnographic fieldwork, community co-researchers, and creative outputs like podcasts and photography, the team aims to co-create mental health interventions that are culturally tailored and socially relevant.

Email: sukhwinder.shergill@kmms.ac.uk

Affiliation: Kent and Medway Medical School