Dr Vashnarekha Kumarasuriar

Lecturer In Psychology and Placement Lead

v.kumarasuriar@reading.edu.my

+60 7 2686299

ORCID

Biography

Dr Vashnarekha Kumarasuriar holds an Honours degree in Psychology from the University of Queensland, Australia, a master’s degree in counselling from the University of South Australia, and a PhD in Psychology. Her doctoral research examined the role of nutrition in cognition and mental health, with a particular focus on healthy ageing.Rekha has more than 20 years of experience in higher education across Malaysia and Singapore, including seven years teaching Psychology at the University of Reading Malaysia. During her academic career, she has taught a wide range of undergraduate Psychology modules and developed expertise in developmental psychology and counselling psychology.Alongside her teaching, Rekha has held a range of academic leadership and programme management responsibilities. During her time as Programme Lead for Undergraduate Psychology, she played an active role in programme accreditation and quality assurance processes, including successful accreditation and re-accreditation exercises. She also worked to strengthen links between the Psychology programmes and professional and industry partners, supporting opportunities for student development, placements, and external engagement.Rekha is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor, reflecting her broader interest in promoting mental health awareness and well-being within educational and community settings.I am currently not available to (co-)supervise PhD students.

UoRM Programmes Taught/Supervised

BSc (Hons) Psychology & BSc Psychology with professional Placement:

Part 1:

PY1APP Applied Professional Psychology

Part 2:
PY2DAL Developmental Across the Lifespan
PY2PCP Professional and Clinical Practice

Part 3:
PY3COU Counselling: Theory and Practice
PY3P Project

Highest Qualification & Awarding Body

PhD in Nutritional Psychology and Aging, Sunway University

Speciality Areas

Counselling; Nutrition and Mental Health/ Cognition

Research Interests

Nutrition and mental health
Nutrition and cognition

Kumarasuriar, V., Khor, K.L., Tan, K.W. et al. The beneficial effects of nuts on depression and anxiety: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Nutrire 51, 57 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41110-026-00458-3

Khor, K.L., Kumarasuriar, V., Tan, K.W. et al. Effects of fruit and vegetable intake on memory and attention: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Syst Rev 13, 151 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-024-02547-8

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