Athula Sumathipala
Professor Athula Sumathipala is an internationally recognised expert in bioethics, mental health, and twin research, with over 25 years of leadership in global health. He holds Emeritus Professorships at King’s College London and Keele University, UK, and is the Founding Director of the Institute for Research and Development in Health and Social Care in Sri Lanka.
After graduating with an MBBS from the University of Colombo in 1980, Prof. Sumathipala went on to earn an MD in Family Medicine, Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK), and a PhD from the University of London. His research has been widely published, with over 150 scholarly works, including 20 peer-reviewed articles on bioethics and seven book chapters. He has received ten research grants from the Wellcome Trust and contributed to academic texts by Oxford and Cambridge University Presses.
Prof. Sumathipala has played key roles in ethics related global forums, including the WHO Working Group on Ethical Issues during Epidemics, and served on advisory bodies such as the Nuffield Council on Bioethics and the Centre for Biomedical Ethics in Singapore. He has been a featured speaker at numerous international conferences across Europe, South Asia, and Africa.
Currently, he serves as Secretary General and President-Elect (2026–2028) of the International Society for Twin Studies. He also leads the Sri Lankan arm of two NIHR-funded global projects on perinatal mental health and psychosis. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to ethical, inclusive, and impactful research in global health.