In October 2025, Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, a clinician-scientist specialising in hepatology at Rajagiri Hospital in Kochi, India, received the 2025 “Skeptical Activism” Ockham Award from the British magazine The Skeptic. The award, presented annually during the Ockham Awards ceremony, recognises individuals who challenge harmful health misinformation, pseudoscience and alternative-medicine claims. He shared a post in social media platform X (formerly Twitter), sharing the joy of the award. He thanked everyone who have supported him in his journey and stressed the importance of busting the medical myths and pseudoscience.
The “Ockham Award for Skeptical Activism” is granted to individuals or campaigns that promote science-based healthcare, critical thinking and public awareness of medical claims. In 2025, Dr Philips was selected for his work exposing the risks of certain herbal supplements and alternative-medicine practices in India, especially those linked to severe liver injury and misleading claims.
According to the announcement, Dr Philips has over a decade of work in public health communication on topics including supplement-induced liver damage, homeopathy use and the interface between conventional medicine and alternative treatments. His social-media presence (including X, Instagram, YouTube) has reached hundreds of thousands, and he has faced legal, regulatory and professional challenges in his role as a science communicator.
The award was announced on 25 October 2025 by The Skeptic. The ceremony took place during the annual QED (Quality & Education in Skepticism) conference in Manchester, UK.
Dr Philips is a hepatologist (liver specialist) and research clinician based in Kochi, Kerala. He is known for publishing peer-reviewed work on supplement-induced liver injury and for communicating medical science through social media under the name “The Liver Doc”. His work is aimed at raising awareness about the potential harms of untested herbal and dietary products, as well as the misuse of alternative medicine in public health. He is very vocal about the harmful effects of alternative medicine, herbal supplements and its overuse by the public without any medical backing.
He encourages medical professionals in engaging with the public to counter misinformation, especially in contexts where health-related claims are widespread, unregulated or poorly evidenced. The award may strengthen the visibility of science-based critique of alternative-medicine practices in India and globally.
(Rh/TL)
