MD, PHD, Child and adolescent psychiatrist, Child Neurologist
Clinical Director of Gamma.
Medea Zirakashvili, MD, has been working as a child and adolescents’ psychiatrist since 2012. Before this she was specialized in child neurology at the department of neurosciences of the M. Iashvili Children’s Central Hospital.
In 2008 she completed six-months training course under the supervision of Professor Stefano Vicari at the neuropsychiatric Unit of the pediatric clinic Bambino Jesu Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy.
In 2008-10yy, as a research assistant, she was involved in the first pilot study, which was conducted in Georgia, and the first approximate statistics on the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in Georgia were compiled.
Medea Zirakashvili was the first professional in Georgia who got an official license to use of all four modules of the autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS) in clinical practice (2010), in the city of Cambridge, Great Britain. In 2020, she renewed the license to conduct an updated version of the same test (ADOS-2) in the USA, at the University of California, San Francisco, under the guidance of professor Somer Bishop, co-author of the test.
Medea Zirakashvili has been involved in various scientific researches since 2009, which allows her to raise awareness about neurodevelopmental disorders and other important issues of children’s and adolescent’s mental health.
Researches conducted with her participation was the basis for the use and validation of several screening tools: The Ages and Stages Questionnaire, 3rd edition (ASQ-3) in 2018, Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) in 2022, and Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in 2023.
In 2017, together with her colleagues, she published the textbook "What is autism?" (ISBN 978-9941-27-599-9).
In 2020 she active participated to create the standards of services for persons with autism, which was approved the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs.
Medea Zirakashvili was a founder and clinical director of the Mental Health Center Gamma (2015) introducing and promoting modern research and clinical practice methods in Georgia.
In 2023 Medea defended her doctoral thesis at Ilia State University on the topic: "Epidemiology Of Autism in Georgia and predictors of Optimal Outcome".and obtained the degree of Doctor of Medicine. She is an invited lecturer at the Ilia State University and Batumi International University (for English-speaking students).
From 2024, within the framework of the memorandum signed with the School of Medicine of the University of New Mexico, USA, the Mental Health Center Gamma has started piloting of ECHO model in 50 primary healthcare settings to strengthen family physicians in identification and referral of children at risk of developmental disorders including ASD. The project is supported by Caritas Czech Republic in Georgia.