Research in the Department of Psychiatry in 2025
18 December 2025
Associate Head of Department for Research Professor Paul Harrison reflects on another year of progress across the Department.
People and Culture in Psychiatry in 2025
18 December 2025
Our Associate Head of Department for People and Culture Professor Catherine Harmer reflects on key achievements and activities in our People and Culture work in 2025.
New study offers breakthrough in detecting risk for psychosis and bipolar disorders
16 December 2025
A study published recently in The Lancet Psychiatry has unveiled a new approach to identifying individuals at risk of developing psychotic disorders or bipolar disorder.
Simple scoring system could help clinicians identify possible cases of NMDAR-antibody encephalitis
11 December 2025
Scientists have identified a key set of symptoms and developed a scoring system to help clinicians in frontline medical and mental health services consider the possibility of a rare form of encephalitis, which can sometimes be mistaken for psychosis.
New research collaboration to tackle ethnic inequalities in perinatal severe mental illness
10 December 2025
A ground-breaking new study aims to transform postpartum mental health care for mothers from ethnic minority backgrounds or those living in deprived areas who experience severe mental illness.
Oxford researchers to redefine new human-based research models of pain
9 December 2025
An interdisciplinary team led by Professor Zameel Cader is part of a major new initiative which aims to redefine human-based research models for greater understanding of disease and the acceleration of new medicines.
Charting the Ageing Brain: Insights from 46,000 MRI Scans
9 December 2025
What happens inside our brains as we age? In a collaborative research study recently published in Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, researchers used UK Biobank data to create an unprecedented map of brain ageing—discovering why some regions are more vulnerable than others.
Leading academics recognised on Clarivate Highly Cited List
3 December 2025
Four researchers from the Department of Psychiatry have made it onto the 2025 list.
Study gives insight into mental health and wellbeing of thousands of teenagers
3 December 2025
A pilot study of more than 15,000 teenagers gives a complex picture of adolescent mental health, finding associations between wellbeing and factors such as sleep, vaping and exercise.
Blog: Warneford Park a critical turning point for brain and mental health research
28 November 2025
After plans to redevelop the Warneford Hospital site were submitted to Oxford City Council, Head of the Department of Psychiatry Professor Belinda Lennox outlines how having modern research and hospital facilities is critical for advancing research and supporting patients.
Creative arts therapies are effective treatment options for PTSD in young people globally
27 November 2025
Music, dance, art, drama, and poetry therapies are effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents across the globe, according to new research from the University of Oxford.
Bridging the gap between epilepsy and mental health
26 November 2025
A more holistic approach is urgently needed to treat people with epilepsy and co-occurring mental health disorders, according to a new paper.
Innovative brain health clinic has now assessed 500 patients and improved accuracy of dementia diagnosis
24 November 2025
One of the UK’s first Brain Health Clinics is marking two major milestones as it celebrates five years since it launched and more than 500 patients using its services.
New study investigates cause of repetitive negative thoughts
20 November 2025
Repetitive negative thoughts will be investigated using a range of cutting-edge brain science techniques as part of a new study led by the University of Oxford and funded by Wellcome.
Shame a significant factor in hairpulling in young people, new study finds
10 November 2025
It found that shame partially explained the relationship between hairpulling and depression, and fully explained the relationship between hairpulling and anxiety.
New study to investigate link between gut microbiome and emotional and cognitive wellbeing in early menopause
5 November 2025
The research will add to a growing body of evidence on the effects of probiotics on mood and cognition and their ability to positively affect menopausal symptoms.
'Understanding anhedonia is very complex' - the value of lived experience
4 November 2025
The GALENOS project lived experience board member Sandra Kimuge talks about working with mental health researchers on a new paper about anhedonia.
Oxford researchers contribute update to NICE Real-World Evidence Framework
3 November 2025
Two Oxford researchers have contributed to the recent major update of the NICE Real-World Evidence Framework.
Black History Month in the Department of Psychiatry
30 October 2025
From academic research seminars to film nights, the Department of Psychiatry hosted a range of events to celebrate Black History Month in October.
Research establishes wide variation in physical side-effects of antidepressants
22 October 2025
Antidepressants differ widely in how they affect the body, according to new research from the University of Oxford and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London.