Ananda Galappatti is a medical anthropologist and a practitioner in the field of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in situations of conflict, disaster and other adverse social conditions. His work over the past 12 years has been predominantly in Sri Lanka, in the areas of capacity-building, research, evaluation and coordination of services. Ananda has published on the development of the psychosocial sector in Sri Lanka, care of separated children in conflict and the integration of psychosocial interventions within poverty-alleviation programmes. He is currently working on doctoral research related to mental health services and psychosocial issues in Eastern Sri Lanka. Ananda was a co-founder of the international journal Intervention, now a key publication in the field of MHPSS work in situations of conflict, and continues to serve on its editorial board. He is currently a steward of a global initiative to support networking amongst MHPSS practitioners, and is also an advisor to the Care and Protection of Children Learning Network to strengthen and systematize child care and protection through the collaborative action of humanitarian organizations, local institutions, and academic partners. Ananda is an affiliated fellow of the Social Policy Analysis & Research Centre (SPARC) at the University of Colombo, and also a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Graduate Studies there. In 2008, he received a Ramon Magsaysay Award for his work in the field of MHPSS intervention in emergencies.