UCT aspires to be a world-class African institution, and in line with that vision our Department endeavours to be a leading Department of academic excellence that produces transformative and integrative teaching, research, healthcare and public service relevant to mental illness and well-being in local, African and global contexts.
From right to left:
Prof. Dan Stein, Professor and Head of the Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health. He is a clinician-scientist, educator-mentor, and advocate-leader in the fields of neuroscience and mental health. His specific focus for more than two decades has been on anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, and trauma- and stress-related disorders (i.e., anxiety and related conditions). He has contributed to the field via collaboration, mentorship, and publication.
Dr. Adele Pretorius, Senior Programme Manager in the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health. She is a Clinical Psychologist and holds a PhD in Biosystems Engineering. She has been managing large multi-site research studies in the Department since 2014. Previously, she has managed multi-national projects related to human performance and safety in the private sector in South Africa.
Deborah Jonker, Project Manager and PhD student in the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health. She is a research psychologist with an interest in integrative transdisciplinary approaches to neuroscience and public mental health. Her PhD focuses on the complications arising from prenatal substance exposure and maternal mental health risk factors on children in early life.
Weslin Charles, Research Assistant in the Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health. She has been involved in various mental health research projects for the past 10 years with a specific focus on the impacts of substance use on children in the South African context.
The UCT team is enthusiastic to be a collaborator in this partnership that will aim to integrate both good practice and science to design a mobile health application to screen for common child and adolescent mental health problems in primary health care (PHC) settings.
