Sakshi Rajesh

I am a DPhil student in Psychiatry, supervised by Eleanor Leigh, Omid V Ebrahimi, and Cathy Creswell. I am affiliated with the CAMY research group, EDGE research group, and the Oxford Centre for Emerging Minds Research.

My research focuses on improving our understanding of anhedonia (i.e., loss of pleasure) among young people. Particularly, I am working towards understanding: (a) how dimensions of anhedonia relate to depression and social anxiety over time, and (b) specific cognitive and behavioural processes that may contribute to the development of anhedonia. To study this, I am using systematic review, qualitative, network, and longitudinal methods.

Alongside this, I also work on various public engagement projects and conduct independent assessments for clinical trials. Prior to my DPhil, I graduated with a BA in Experimental Psychology from the University of Oxford. During this time, I worked with Eleanor Leigh and Cathy Creswell on an experimental study investigating the role of self-focused attention in social anxiety in pre-adolescents.