Biography

Dr. Uta Ouali, M.D. is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Tunis El Manar Medical School and the Clinical Director of the Clinical High Risk Program (CHiRP) at Razi University Hospital. A founding member and current director of CHiRP, she co-leads the program in Tunisia with Dr. Joseph Ventura from the UCLA Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Ouali is one of the primary investigators of CHiRP’s research component and oversees the program’s overall management, coordination, and implementation. She leads a team of adult psychiatrists working with Tunisian youth in interventions such as NEAR (cognitive training) and CBT-based psychoeducation. Her research focuses on early intervention in youth mental health, as well as stigma and discrimination toward individuals with mental illness. From 2021 to 2024, she served as IEPA Vice-President for the MENA region.