Dr. Belinda Lennox

Biography

Belinda Lennox is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on early psychosis and neuroimmunology, with the aim to discover the causes of psychotic illnesses and improve treatment options. Her work particularly targets serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, which often have unknown causes. Lennox is dedicated to uncovering the biological basis of these conditions and developing new treatments, often conducting a wide array of research ranging from laboratory studies to clinical trials and health services research. She has a particular interest in the possible autoimmune basis of psychosis, having identified antibodies linked to the NMDA receptor as affecting about 10% of individuals experiencing an episode of psychosis. Currently, she leads the SINAPPS2 clinical trial, which is rigorously testing novel approaches to treatment. Moreover, she collaborates with academic groups and clinicians in the UK and internationally to advance the understanding of autoimmune mental disorders and provide evidence-based treatment to patients. In addition, she manages a multidisciplinary team focused on assessing and treating individuals with autoimmune mental illnesses, leading innovative testing of multiple treatment options through the Early Psychosis Multi-arm, Multi-stage Platform Trial (PUMA).

Research Interests