RGS

Biography

Biography

Following an undergraduate medical degree (Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka), Professor Sumathipala obtained a Diploma In Family Medicine and a  Doctorate in Family Medicine (Post Graduate Institute of Medicine (University of Colombo, Sri Lanka). He migrated to the UK in 1992 and was re-trained as a psychiatrist at the Maudesley and Bethlem Royal Hospitals and obtained the MRCPsych and completed the specialist training as a Liaison psychiatrist.

He was a Research Associate (Section of Epidemiology) at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London from 1999 to 2004 and completed a PhD from University of London in 2004. He also worked as a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College from 2008 to 2009.

In 1997 he founded the Institute for Research and Development in Sri Lanka (IRD -  www.ird.lk). He moved to Sri Lanka to serve as the Director of the IRD while remaining as a Hon Senior Lecturer, IoP, Kings College, London   from 2009 to 2014. Following the Tsunami he also worked as the coordinator (Psychosocial Affairs), Centre for National Operations on Tsunami in Sri Lanka.

He was awarded the HB Williams Traveling Professorship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists in 2007. He was elected as an honorary Fellow of the Sri Lankan College of General Practitioners in 2008. He was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Psychiatrist, UK in 2018.

The Institute for Research and Development he founded in Sri Lanka received a merit award for ‘excellence in multidisciplinary international collaborations’ and Professor Sumathipala received ‘outstanding leadership, from National Science Foundation in 2018.

Professor Sumathipala is also an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist, Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Emeritus Professor of Global Mental Health, Kings College London, Hon. Director, Institute for Research and Development, Sri Lanka and a Visiting Professor in Psychiatry and Biomedical Research at the Faculty of Medicine, Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka.

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