Psicologa e psicoterapeuta, ha conseguito un dottorato di ricerca in psicologia presso la Facoltà di Kinesiologia di Zagabria dove oggi insegna come professore. È autrice di oltre 150 pubblicazioni scientifiche e professionali. I suoi campi di interesse scientifico sono la motivazione, la leadership nello sport, l'apprendimento motorio e la preparazione psicologica degli atleti. È un'iniziatrice e presidente del comitato di programma del simposio di psicologia dello sport che ogni due anni riunisce psicologi dello sport dalla Croazia e dalla regione più ampia. Accanto alle sue attività accademiche e scientifiche, utilizza le sue conoscenze professionali nella pratica sportiva quotidiana come psicologa dello sport, collaborando con numerosi atleti d'élite, giovani e prospettici di diverse discipline sportive nel campo della preparazione psicologica. Ha lavorato come psicologa dello sport all'interno della squadra di canottaggio per i giochi olimpici di Londra 2012, pallanuoto e tiro a segno per Rio 2016 e campionessa mondiale di pallanuoto e ginnasta per Tokio 2021. I suoi atleti sono campioni del mondo, medagliati ai campionati olimpici ed europei. Inoltre, è presidente della sezione di psicologia dello sport all'interno dell'Associazione psicologica croata. 

Renata Barić was born on 26th July 1972. She graduated at Faculty of Kinesiology in Zagreb in 1996 and finished her Masters at the same faculty on 2001. Also, she graduated psychology at department of Psychology at Faculty of Arts and finished her Masters in psychology at Department of psychology, Faculty of Arts at University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. She finished her PhD study on psychology at the same University in 2007. Today she is a professor at Faculty of Kinesiology in Zagreb. She is the author of more than 150 scientific and professional papers. Her field of scientific interest are motivation, leadership in sport, motor learning and psychological preparation of athletes. She is a initiator and a president of program committee of Sport psychology symposium which every two year assembles sport psychologists from Croatia and wider region.

Beside her academic and scientific activities, she uses her professional knowledge in everyday sport practice as a sport psychologist, working with numerous elite, young and perspective athletes from different sport disciplines in the field of psychological preparation. She worked as a sport psychologist within rowing team for Olympic games London 2012,  water-polo and shooting for Rio 2016 and water polo team and gymnast world champion for Tokio 2021. Her athletes are world champions, Olympic and European championship medallists. She writes popular articles about sport psychology and book chapters, and presents the results of her professional work in different conferences and professional meetings. She is licensed cognitive-behavioural therapist. Also, she is a president of Sport psychology section within Croatian Psychological Association.

She won a scholarship from Croatian Ministry for Science in Education for doctoral study abroad. In 2005 she won a 1st prize for the best paper presented orally on 4th International scientific conference of Kinesiology. In 2015 Croatian psychological association awarded her a prize for a significant contribution to development to applied psychology in Croatia.