Dr Athula Sumathipala

Dr Athula Sumathipala is the co-founder of the UK-Sri Lanka Trauma Group. He is psychiatrist trained in the UK since 1992. He obtained MRCPsych 1995 and received the Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training in UK/EU, 1999. He was graduated from Sri Lanka in 1980 with MBBS and subsequently obtained the qualifications DFM, MD. A Clinical Researcher at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, University of London, UK but is based in Sri Lanka for 3 years for his own research in Somatisation.

He has divers academic interests in mental health. His main area of work is in Medically unexplained multiple symptom interventions for such patients. Other areas include, cross-cultural psychiatry, twin studies, impact of the of media on health and psychological Sequelae of trauma.

He has personal experience being a victim of civil was in Sri Lanka during 1989 and since then he developed a special interest in this field, particularly the need for service development for such victims.

He co-founded the National Twin Register for Sri Lanka and the campaign "Psychiatry beyond madness" in Sri Lanka.