Detailed Biography:

Dr. Saxena does research, clinical practice, and teaching at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, where he has been on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences since 1996. His research focuses on the neurobiology (brain abnormalities) and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related mood and anxiety disorders. He and his research team use functional brain imaging to understand the brain circuits and systems that mediate OCD symptoms, to reveal how effective treatments work in the brain, and to predict response to various types of treatments for OCD and Depression. Recently, Dr. Saxena has been studying specific subtypes of OCD such as compulsive hoarding, in an effort to develop better treatments for this disabling condition. He has authored or co-authored over 40 scientific articles and book chapters and has presented his work at many major national and international scientific meetings. He has received awards and grants from the American Psychiatric Association, American Neuropsychiatric Association, National Institute of Mental Health, and the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation. His research has garnered attention from local and national media, and he has been featured on CNN, the Discovery Channel, the New York Times, Boston Globe, Discover Magazine, and many local news programs.