Biography

Kapila Marambage, M.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He specializes in general and addiction psychiatry.

Dr. Marambage earned his medical degree at the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka. He completed a residency in psychiatry at the University Hospital of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and received advanced training through an addiction psychiatry fellowship at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York City.

Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in psychiatry and addiction psychiatry, he joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2017.

Dr. Marambage is the Medical Director for Addiction Psychiatry at Parkland Memorial Hospital and manages Parkland’s inpatient and outpatient addiction psychiatry services. Working with a marginalized and underserved population that battles substance use disorders, he facilitates detoxification, therapy interventions, and the initiation of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for aftercare.

He strives to be a model for diversity and inclusion, managing a group that reflects many cultures and perspectives while recognizing individuality to deliver excellence in health care, education, and research.

At UT Southwestern, Dr. Marambage develops advanced, evidence-based medication protocols that are tailored to the needs of patients. He facilitates MAT for high-opioid-utilizing sickle cell patients, as well as pain and palliative care for micro inductions. He is also a member of and the addiction psychiatry expert for both the Parkland and UT Southwestern Peer Review RENEW Committees (Recovery Employee Network Enhancing Wellness – previously COPPRA).

He also collaborates with partners at Parkland and across Dallas through the MAT Work Group. As a member of Parkland’s Jail Health Program with the Dallas County Jail, Dr. Marambage serves as a subject expert and the Medical Director for the facilitation of the MAT program and Jail Release Program.

Dr. Marambage has been working to secure grant funding to facilitate contingency management for stimulant use disorder and smoking cessation, residential beds for qualified patients, and a biomedical project (Smart Clamp) in collaboration with the UT Southwestern Tech Development Office.

He is a member of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, the American Psychiatric Association, and the Sri Lanka Medical Association.

He has published several academic articles related to his areas of expertise and coauthored two chapters of the book Substance Use and Addiction Research: Methodology, Methods, and Therapeutics.

In 2021, he was the winner of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Startup Challenge.

Personal Note

When he’s not at work, Dr. Marambage enjoys playing guitar, playing cricket, and swimming.

Education & Training
  • Medical School - Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka (1990-1996)
  • Internship - Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka (1997-1998), Internal Medicine
  • Fellowship - Albert Einstein College of Medicine (2012-2013), Addiction Psychiatry
  • Residency - Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (2008-2012), Psychiatry
Professional Associations & Affiliations
  • American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
  • American Psychiatric Association
  • Sri Lanka Medical Association
Honors & Awards
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Startup Challenge Winner 2021, NIDA
  • Building Trust Challenge Winner 2020, Parkland Health & Hospital System
Books & Publications
  • Books
    • Physiological considerations in opioid addiction in Substance Use and Addiction Research: Methodology, Methods, and Therapeutics
      Edinoff AN, Murnane KS, Rosa CA, Giepert S, Cornett EM, Kaye AD, Marambage K (2023), London, Elsevier
    • General therapy strategies in opioid addiction in Substance Use and Addiction Research: Methodology, Methods, and Therapeutics
      Marambage K, Edinoff AN, Kongchum T, Rosa CA, Cornett EM, Kaye AD, Gilpert S (2023), London, Elsevier
  • Publications
Research
  • Health-care utilization patterns for patients with a history of substance use requiring OPAT
  • Empowering people with substance use disorders to self-administer intravenous antibiotics at home

Clinical Focus

  • Addiction Psychiatry

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