Roz Shafran


Roz Shafran FMedSci is a British consultant clinical psychologist who is Emeritus Professor of Translational Psychology at the UCL [Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health]. She is particularly known for her pioneering research on perfectionism and its effects on mental health, as well as her leadership in creating and directing the Charlie Waller Institute.

Early life and education

Shafran was born in London. She studied experimental psychology at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University, graduating in 1991 with a congratulatory first. She later obtained her Ph.D. from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience in 1995. Her research, which focussed on obsessive–compulsive disorder, laid the foundation for her later work in clinical psychology. She qualified as a clinical psychologist and was accredited as a CBT therapist. Shafran worked as a Killam Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of British Columbia under Jack Rachman. At the time, she was volunteering at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where she became interested in medically unexplained symptoms. She worked alongside Rachel Bryant-Waugh on eating disorders. Her interests in obsessive compulsive disorder and eating disorders motivated her to work with Christopher Fairburn at the University of Oxford.

Career

Shafran moved to the University of Reading as the inaugural Charlie Waller Chair of Evidence-Based Psychological Treatment, where she founded and directed the Charlie Waller Institute of Evidence-Based Psychological Treatment. In 2013 Shafran was appointed a professor at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, where she works to improve access to effective psychological therapies and developing new interventions.
Shafran investigates perfectionism, a transdiagnostic factor linked to multiple psychological disorders. Her work has significantly advanced the understanding of how perfectionism contributes to mental health issues, leading to the development of specialised interventions. Her research extends to the mental health of children with chronic physical conditions, the psychological impact of long COVID in young people, and the development of low-intensity psychological treatments for children with epilepsy.
The psychological medicine research team Shafran developed and leads at UCL was recognised by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services for "The Lucy Project", a drop-in mental health booth that provided accessible, low-intensity early interventions for young people and their families who were concerned about mental health. The booth was named after Lucy Van Pelt, the character from Peanuts. The booth received The BMJs Mental Health Team of the Year Award in 2021.

Awards and honours