Dr. Asala Halaj is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Community Mental Health at the University of Haifa and Head of the Insight & Reflection Lab. She earned her M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University, and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where her doctoral research focused on insight in anxiety disorders. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at University College London (UCL), where she expanded her research on insight, metacognition, and self-awareness across nonpsychotic disorders.
Dr. Halaj’s research focuses on how individuals with anxiety, depression, and related nonpsychotic disorders understand, interpret, and respond to their psychological experiences. Her work has advanced the study of insight beyond psychosis through the development of theoretical models, assessment frameworks, and clinical applications examining insight, self-awareness, and metacognitive processes across psychopathology. By integrating conceptual, measurement, and clinical perspectives, her research seeks to clarify how insight functions across mental health conditions and how it may inform psychopathology, treatment processes, and outcomes.
In parallel, Dr. Halaj’s broader research program addresses mental health disparities through culturally informed and accessible approaches to care. Her work includes the cultural adaptation of psychological interventions for Arab populations, the promotion of mental health in underserved communities aimed at improving access to evidence-based care.
Dr. Halaj has received multiple competitive scholarships, fellowships, and excellence awards throughout her academic career, from doctoral training through postdoctoral fellowship and faculty appointment, including support from Israel’s Council for Higher Education and other leading academic programs. She is also a recipient of the Maof Fellowship for Outstanding Arab Faculty and was selected for Globes’ “40 Under 40,” recognizing scientific leadership, innovation, and societal impact.