Dr Cyriac Abby Philips (TheLiverDoc) Age, Biography & More

Bio/Wiki
Profession	Doctor
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	in centimeters- 178 cm in meters- 1.78 m in feet & inches- 5’ 10”
Weight (approx.)	in kilograms- 65 kg in pounds- 143 lbs
Eye Colour	Dark Brown
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Awards & Honours	• Liver Care Foundation Investigator Travel Award (March 2015) • American Association for Study of Liver Disease Award (2015, 2016, and 2017) • Honorary Trainee Membership to The American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) in San Francisco (November 2015) • AASLD Foundation Young Investigator Travel Award (November 2016) • Best Poster-Paper Award (FMT in SAH) at ISGCON (December 2016) • AASLD Alcoholic Hepatitis: Young Investigators Award (September 2017) • AASLD Foundation Young Investigators Abstract Award (October 2017) • National Best Paper Award by The Indian Society of Gastroenterology (2018) • Gold Medal for Academic Excellence in Hepatology by President Pranab Mukherji (14 January 2019) • P. Kesavadev Kerala Puraskar (7 June 2023)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	14 August 1982 (Saturday)
Age (as of 2023)	41 Years
Birthplace	Kottayam, Kerala, India
Zodiac sign	Leo
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Kochi, Kerala
School	• Girideepam Bethany Higher Secondary School, Kottayam, Kerala (till 1992) • Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust (CCMT), Kochi, Kerala
College/University	• St. John’s Medical College, Bengaluru, Karnataka (2007-2012) • Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata (2012) • Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), New Delhi
Educational Qualification(s)	• MBBS at St. John’s Medical College • Doctor of Medicine (MD) in Internal Medicine at Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital • Doctor of Medicine (MD) in Hepatology & Transplant Medicine at ILBS [1]Rajagiri Hospital Note: He has specialized in sepsis in cirrhosis, faecal microbiota in liver disease, and modulation of alcoholic hepatitis portal hypertension.
Religion	Christianity
Food Habit	Non-vegetarian
Address	35/194, B Automobile Road, Palarivattom, Kochi, Kerala – 682025, India
Tattoo	He got a tattoo inked on one of his biceps.
Controversies	Getting Flanked Over Remarks on Ayurveda Abby Philips has been in the spotlight multiple times for facing legal actions over his comments regarding Ayurveda. In an interview with a Malayalam YouTube channel called Lucy in June 2021, Abby expressed his concerns about using herbal medicines for treating illnesses, claiming that they could be harmful to the liver. Subsequently, Sadath Dinakar, the general secretary of the Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI), filed a complaint against him with the Prime Minister's grievance redressal cell. The complaint accused Abby of spreading misinformation about Ayurveda and damaging its reputation as a treatment method. The case was then forwarded to the National Medical Commission (NMC), which later passed it on to the Kerala State Medical Council (KSMC). The KSMC then requested an explanation from Abby Philips regarding his statements. Finally, in June 2022, the KSMC recommended dropping the charges against him. [2]The News Minute KSMC’s recommendation read, "On examination of the explanation, it is found that the doctor has only spoken about liver disease caused by a particular medicine and has not misrepresented the ayurvedic system as a whole. As the doctor was found to have no intention of defaming alternative medical practices, we recommend the Council of Modern Medicine (another council of KSMC) to close the case." Abby received a warning letter from the AYUSH Ministry in September 2021 due to a YouTube video where he raised doubts about the effectiveness of Ayurveda. The ministry accused him of potentially defaming the AYUSH systems and eroding public trust in traditional Indian medicine. Subsequently, Abby shared the letter on his Twitter account. [3]ThePrint Account Suspension Over Defamation Claims In September 2023, Abby found himself clouded in a controversy when a defamation lawsuit was filed against him by the Himalaya Wellness Company. The case was filed on the basis of Abby's social media statements, where he alleged that Himalaya's products posed health risks. In response to the complaint, a Bengaluru civil court issued an order to suspend Abby's X account on 24 September 2023. Abby, on the other hand, addressed the matter later in an interview and said that his allegations against the company were rooted in extensive research. [4]Newslaundry In the interview, Abby Philips said, Everything that I have put out on social media, even about the adulteration in the products, I have done so after testing it in government certified labs. It is no hearsay." The Karnataka High Court, however, allowed to restore Abby's account on X on 9 October 2023. [5]India Today
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Marriage Date	4 January 2011
Family
Wife/Spouse	Teena Sara Cyriac Note: Wife's image in Children's section.
Children	Son- 1 Daughter(s)- 2 • Alanna • Aideen
Parents	Father- Philip Augustine (clinical gastroenterologist, founder of Philip Augustin Associates Pvt. Ltd., recipient of the Padma Shri Award for introducing Endoscopy in India) Mother- Cicy Philip (executive director at the Philip Augustin Associates Pvt. Ltd.)
Style Quotient
Car Collection	Volvo XC40

Some Lesser Known Facts About Cyriac Abby Philips

• Cyriac Abby Philips is an Indian hepatologist and clinician-scientist. He is known for voicing his opinions against the usage of homoeopathic and ayurvedic remedies for treating illnesses. His position on traditional Indian treatment practices, especially homoeopathy and ayurveda, has frequently faced criticism.

• He hails from a Christian family in Kerala.
  

  A childhood photo of Philips with his pet German Shepherd Tiger

• During a media interaction, he admitted that he failed two times in mathematics while studying in class 10. He further disclosed that upon completing his education, he faced a choice between pursuing a Bachelor of Technology (BTech) degree in Computer Science or opting for a degree in Medicine (MBBS). He talked about it and said,
  

  After completing my schooling, in those days, I had two options – either engineering, preferably computer science, or becoming a doctor. Since I failed math twice in higher school, engineering was not an option.”

  

  A photo of Cyriac Abby Philips taken when he was in school

  Opting for the second option, he began studying for the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) and successfully passed the exams on his second try.

• After completing his formal studies, he began practising medicine in Kochi, Kerala.
  

  A photo of Cyriac Abby Philips taken while he was performing surgery in OT

• Thereafter, he assumed the role of a senior advisor and medical researcher at the Department of Clinical and Translational Hepatology, which is part of the Liver Institute, Center of Excellence in GI Sciences, located at Rajagiri Hospital in Kochi, Kerala.

• He has also served in the Center of Excellence in Microbiome Studies, associated with the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as an expert member.

• Thereafter, he took on the roles of a clinical consultant and a member of the Doctoral Advisory Committee for the Department of Cell and Tissue Culture at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, a government institution located in Trivandrum, Kerala.
  

  Philips’ photo taken in a hospital

• Cyriac, as of July 2023, has published over sixty medical research papers, including Healthy Donor Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Steroid Ineligible Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis – A Pilot Study. Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology (2016), Healthy donor faecal transplant for corticosteroid non-responsive severe alcoholic hepatitis (2017), Gut microbiome influences clinical events and severity in patients with alcoholic hepatitis. Hepatology (2017), Branch duct-type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm presenting as paraneoplastic small plaque para-psoriasis (2018). and Rare cause of isolated severe coagulation failure in cirrhosis: Traditional healing with fenugreek (2018).

• Other than writing academic papers, Abby Philips has also contributed in penning chapters for medical books, such as Textbook of Biochemistry and Human Biology, Biliary System – Dysfunction, Textbook of Biochemistry and Human Biology, Cirrhosis and its complications, and Textbook of Surgical Gastroenterology (2016).

• Cyriac Abby Philips co-wrote Diseases of Pancreas, a book released in 2014.

• Cyriac Abby Philips uses various social media platforms like Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram to share medical knowledge with the general public. He actively counters the spread of false medical information by debunking myths through his social media accounts. In an interview, Abby mentioned that he began creating videos on social media when he encountered numerous patients suffering from liver diseases who had worsened their conditions by following ineffective homoeopathy and ayurvedic methods. Talking about it, he said,
  

  I started openly criticizing the traditional medicine system when diagnosing patients with acute hepatitis and acute-on-chronic liver failure, some requiring liver transplantation, all related to the unreasonable, misinformed use of traditional and proprietary Ayurvedic herbal drugs, became increasingly frequent. My journey started with being a good physician to my patients to transforming into the voice of reason for my patients and the community.”

  He goes by the username TheLiverDoc on social media. In addition to dispelling medical misinformation, Abby also shares content in which he questions the legitimacy of ayurvedic and homoeopathic medications administered to individuals with serious health conditions. As of 2023, he has a Twitter following of over 172k and has garnered more than 15.3k subscribers on YouTube.

The reality of "integrative medicine."

These are "drugs" prescribed by an MBBS + BAMS (modern medicine + Ayurveda) trained senior doctor for hepatitis B virus infection.

The outcome?
Total bilirubin (marker of jaundice) increases from 4.8 to 23.4 in three weeks time.
No actual… pic.twitter.com/iI8nLq9AvD

— TheLiverDoc (@theliverdr) August 1, 2023

• Abby has written several articles for The Morning Context as a columnist.

• Abby Philips is an avid traveller and has explored numerous countries.

• In multiple news channel discussions, he has talked about the adverse effects of Ayurvedic medicines on the human body.
  

  Philips in a still from a news debate with Burkha Dutt

• Philips is passionate about animals and owns four Dalmatians and a pug that goes by the name of Penny.
  

  Philips’ Dalmatians and Pug with his daughter

• He enjoys engaging in video games and possesses a valuable collection of gaming consoles.
  

  A photo of Philips’ gaming setup

• He drinks liquor occasionally.
  

  Abby Philips’ Instagram post

• During a media interaction, Cyriac Abby Philips expressed his initial desire to pursue a career as an artist. However, due to the limited prospects in the art industry during the 1990s, he opted to become a doctor.

• In 2017, Abby gave the presidential plenary speech at the Liver Meeting in Washington, D.C. The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases organized the event, which was attended by 3,000 people.
  

  A photo of Cyriac Abby taken while he was giving the Presidential Plenary

• According to Abby, he saved the life of a co-passenger in mid-air while he was travelling to Mumbai with Akasa Air from Kochi in 2024. On 16 January 2024, he shared a post on X where he provided the details of the incident. Abby mentioned how he discovered that the man was having difficulty breathing because his left lung was filled with fluid. To help him, Abby gave the man an injection to stabilize his blood pressure and ensure he stayed alive until they could get medical assistance after the flight landed in Mumbai.

As a doctor, the first time I actually used a stethoscope after three and half years was on a mid air flight, two days ago.

On my flight from Kochi to Mumbai via @AkasaAir the man sitting next to me became breathless.

I was tired from work and it was a late evening flight and… pic.twitter.com/Doyl4Yyjin

— TheLiverDoc (@theliverdr) January 16, 2024