Dr. Thimmaiah hails from a poor agricultural family. He was born in a remote village, a God forsaken place (Kuntebommanahalli), which did not have any of the modern amenities like electricity and public transport. The illiterate parents with their little earnings from the dry land somehow managed to support him to complete the elementary education.
The financial condition of the parents was such that they had no option except to send him to Siddaganga Kshethra for beyond Elementary School, where he received free food, free lodging and free education. If Siddaganga Kshethra were not to be there, his education would have stopped at his early age itself.
During those drought years, Sri Sri Shivakumara Swamiji was there as a ray of hope for all the students coming from poor farming families regardless of caste, creed and religion. Siddaganga Mutt was a boon to poor students.
The serene atmosphere of Siddaganga Mutt inspired Thimmaiah and thousands of other students to pursue their education with a challenging spirit. Swamiji’s thought-provoking speeches on ethics, honesty, sincerity, and human values deeply influenced him.
After completing his B.Sc. with High First Class from the University of Mysore, Dr. Thimmaiah pursued his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Chemistry. He later served as Assistant Professor and continued his research career in the USA at Wake Forest University, University of Texas at El Paso, and St Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
He established a sophisticated cancer research center at the University of Mysore and published over 150 research papers. Sixteen scholars earned Ph.D. degrees under his guidance. He holds three patents and has received numerous scientific awards.
Dr. Thimmaiah currently serves as a Board of Trustee at D. Banumiah's Educational Institutions, Mysore.