DPhil Student David Sher shares his latest research

David Sher is a DPhil student in the Department of Psychiatry. His research aims to identify salient factors that encourage recovery from paranoia. David works closely interviewing patients with psychosis and their carers in the National Health Service (NHS). He also has a research background in autism, psychology and education.

In his latest article, David and colleagues explore Russian psychiatrist GE Sukhareva, now widely believed to be the first person to provide a clinical account of autism, some two decades before Asperger and Kanner. Sukhareva also helped to conceptualise schizophrenia.

The article reflects on possible explanations for the belated and incomplete recognition of Sukhareva’s role. The current article indicates how Sukhareva’s work was ahead of its time in reflecting modern criteria for autism diagnoses and in its focus on female case studies. Sukhareva’s somewhat precarious position as a foremost psychiatrist condemned in the Stalinist years for being anti-Marxist is explicated. The article outlines further directions for academic research on Sukhareva’s work and contributions.

The full article can be read here