Skip to main content
Sanjaya Saxena, MD, Psychiatry, San Diego, CA

SanjayaSaxenaMDDLFAPA, FACNP(He/Him)

Psychiatry • San Diego, CA

Neuropsychiatry, Psychopharmacology

Director of Clinical and Research Affairs, International OCD Foundation and Clinical Professor, UC San Diego Department of Psychiatry

Join to view full profile

Dr. Saxena is on Doximity

As a Doximity member you'll join over two million verified healthcare professionals in a private, secure network.

  • Connect with other colleagues in the same hospital or clinic
  • Search all U.S. specialist profiles and refer a patient
  • Read the latest clinical news and earn CME/CEU credits

See Dr. Saxena's full profile

Already have an account?

  • Office

    San Diego Center for OCD and Related Disorders
    16880 West Bernardo Drive, Suite 160
    San Diego, CA 92127
    Phone+1 619-743-4190
  • Is this information wrong?

Summary

  • Dr. Saxena is a a world-renowned expert on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Hoarding Disorder, and related disorders. He is Director of Clinical and Research Affairs for the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) and Clinical Professor (non-salaried), UC San Diego Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Saxena was elected into Best Doctors in America every year 2005-2020, and elected into Castle Connelly-US News and World Report’s America’s Top Doctors every year 2008-2021. After completing his training, he served as Director, UCLA OCD Research Program and Associate Director, UCLA Anxiety Disorders Program. He then directed the UC San Diego OCD Program and UC San Diego Outpatient Psychiatric Services. More recently, he was the Adult Psychiatrist at Rogers Behavioral Health San Diego. Dr. Saxena is heavily involved in training Psychiatry residents and other clinicians and has won multiple teaching awards. He also was the psychiatric consultant for the motion picture, “As Good As It Gets” (Sony Pictures, 1997), in which the lead character, played by Jack Nicholson, suffered from OCD.

    Dr. Saxena's research has focused on the neurobiology and treatment of OCD, Hoarding Disorder, and related disorders. He has authored or co-authored over 80 scientific articles and book chapters. He has received awards and grants from the American Psychiatric Association, American Neuropsychiatric Association, IOCDF, and the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Saxena serves on the Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board for the IOCDF and was an advisor to the DSM-5 Workgroup on Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. He and his colleagues developed the diagnostic criteria for Hoarding Disorder, now listed as a separate diagnosis in DSM-5. His research has garnered attention from local and national media, and he has been featured on ABC, CNN, Larry King Live, MSNBC, the Discovery Channel, National Public Radio, BBC News, the New York Times, Boston Globe, LA Times, and Time Magazine.

Education & Training

  • UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine/UCLA Medical Center
    UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine/UCLA Medical CenterFellowship, Research, 1994 - 1996
  • UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine/UCLA Medical Center/VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
    UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine/UCLA Medical Center/VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare SystemResidency, Psychiatry, 1990 - 1994
  • University of Minnesota Medical School
    University of Minnesota Medical SchoolClass of 1990

Certifications & Licensure

  • CA State Medical License
    CA State Medical License 1992 - 2026
  • American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Psychiatry

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

  • Distinguished Life Fellow American Psychiatric Association
  • Psychiatry Residency Faculty Teaching Award UC San Diego Department of Psychiatry, 2022
  • America's Top Doctors Castle Connolly / U.S. News & World Report, 2008-2021
  • Join now to see all

Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Press Mentions

  • Save Me from Myself: Why People Feed the Need to Hoard
    Save Me from Myself: Why People Feed the Need to HoardFebruary 5th, 2019
  • Hoarders Overwhelmed by the Clutter
    Hoarders Overwhelmed by the ClutterAugust 28th, 2016
  • How to Help a Hoarder
    How to Help a HoarderJune 14th, 2016
  • Join now to see all

Professional Memberships

Dr. Sanjaya Saxena, Dr. Sanjaya Saxena, MD, Dr. S Saxena