Adriana Bankston, PhD (she/her)
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Status: Principal Legislative Analyst, University of California Federal Government Relations Office
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
I think we have to think about scientists as not only being the individuals advancing the research enterprise, but also the fact that they are human beings. We need to focus on making sure that their mental health is prioritized, in order to allow them to function at their full potential.
Adriana Navarro-Suárez, PhD (she/her)
Location: London, United Kingdom
Status: Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellow at Imperial College London
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Overworking is often seen as a badge of honor in academia when in reality it just makes us more prone to mental and physical issues. Success goes hand in hand with healthy study/work habits and the only way to achieve it is prioritizing your wellbeing.
Akhil Kallepalli, PhD
Location: Glasgow, United Kingdom
Status: Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Glasgow
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Regardless of where you are and what you do, mental health is as important as physical health for individual well-being. Academia brings a unique flexibility and culture that can be rewarding and challenging. In order to be on the right side of this experience, mental health and stability are vital. Students and academics should enjoy doing what they love to do; positive mental health will definitely contribute to this experience.
Alex Krejci (he/him)
Location: Seattle, WA
Status: Founder & Director of Prajna Graduate Life Coaching
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
More happiness & better research output
Academia is the place where we live much of our lives...we all want to be happy...so why not make academia a more joyful place to be? I've seen many people, including myself, experience poor mental health related to academic culture. I want that to change. Honestly, I believe this change will not only make academic life more joyful, but it will also improve the already incredible work that academics do.
Alexandra Helen Leighton, PhD (she/her)
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Status: Scientific support manager at Open Ephys
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
In its current form, academia encourages unhealthy competition and dangerous power imbalances. Prioritizing mental health means creating fair environments where people are safe to do their best work from a place of genuine curiosity, rather than fear or stress.
Anna Schueth, PhD
Location: Netherlands
Status: Post-doctoral researcher at Maastricht University
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
I would like to see more acceptance at our (academic) work place, for who we really are. No matter what colour our skin has, what religion or sexual identity we have and whether we deal with a mental or chronic disorder or not. I am raising awareness for stigma and mental health in academia with my blog annaschueth.com since March 2021 and as volunteer for Dragonfly Mental Health.
Becky Gregory, PhD (she/her)
Location: Birmingham, United Kingdom
Status: Freelance editor, looking to get back into academic research
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
When researchers and students have good mental health, they are more likely to have the creative ideas that will lead them to succeed in academia. A safe environment and a good support system are necessary to enable researchers to look after their mental and potentially physical health, empowering them to achieve their goals in academic science.
Calliope Holingue, MPH, PhD (she/her)
Location: Baltimore, MD, USA
Status: Currently a Research Postdoctoral Fellow at Kennedy Krieger Institute (Center for Autism and Related Disorders & Dept of Neuropsychology) and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (Dept Mental Health)
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Because I think academia should be inclusive of all people, and I think our best work comes when we are healthy and thriving. I have seen too many people suffer in this field and I don’t believe that is a necessary component of doing rigorous and impactful work.
Casey Yanos (she/her)
Location: Groningen, the Netherlands
Status: PhD student in marine ecology and evolution
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Academia is a very demanding and challenging environment, but it shouldn’t be toxic. There is a lot of abuse and unnecessary stress currently built into the academic system. But it doesn’t have to (and shouldn’t) be that way. With more focus on mental health and wellbeing we can create an atmosphere of support and enthusiasm where everyone can thrive and do their best work.
Chloi Syranidou, PhD (she/her)
Location: Jülich, Germany
Status: Researcher, Power systems
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
As exciting as it sounds to do research, working in academia can be detrimental to someone’s mental health. Due to different psychological, societal and systemic factors, academic environments are encouraged and do reproduce toxic and abusive conditions that are also hard to change or escape from. The specific form and intensity may differ depending on the local culture; however, the main drivers, principles and effects appear to be similar internationally. Of course, mental health is crucial for the performance and well-being of the people involved; nevertheless, it can become even more important considering the role and expectations of academics in our society. I am mostly concerned about people who have been abused and traumatized (especially minorities), since it seems that many of them fit very well and are actually attracted to such conditions, with worrying results about their health.
Cody P. Zane, Ph.D.
Location: Raleigh, NC, United States
Status: Seeking Employment
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
It is incredibly important for me to make sure that everyone within academia, and beyond, who are dealing with mental health struggles understand that this is not a weakness and they are not worthless. Academia has had a “suck it up” and “this is what I went through” culture for too long. The time has been long over due to show that graduate degrees are not for a select group of individuals and is not solely based on your IQ. Those dealing with mental health issues have strength beyond what can be measured and I wholeheartedly believe that those who acknowledge their struggles are better academics and leaders. It is time that we all open our arms and accept everyone with love.
Cole H. Gardner
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Status: Undergraduate Senior at DePauw University (Econ/Biochem/Pre-medicine)
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
The mental health of students and faculty must become a priority for higher educational institutions in order to effectively cultivate the next generation of professionals. It is then incredibly important to build a network that helps destigmatize mental health, develop and spread best practices for University mental health programs, and create tools that can help guide matriculating students to make the best decisions for themselves.
Cynthia Arwen Hurlbert (she/her)
Location: Reston, VA, USA
Status: Technical Writer
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
I believe that mental health is an essential part of human health. Based on my experiences, and those of my peers, I feel that academia does not prioritize the health and wellbeing of the students they are training. Many times, it feels like we are a product of a factory.
Danielle Marie A. Parreño, (Denden), MA Psychology (Clinical; candidate), She/Her
Location: the Philippines
Status: University Lecturer and Research Associate and Graduating MA Psychology Student, seeking Research work/opportunities
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Mental health is health that is also impacted by a lot of socio-economic factors. In my experience, it can be difficult to juggle a full-time job plus several freelance jobs in order to fully support myself while studying. I had to compromise a lot of things like health and a stable job in order to complete certain graduate school requirements. As a clinical psychologist-in-training, sometimes "self-care" can be quite a luxury when you're trying to stay on top of many duties and responsibilities as a person, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a colleague, a teacher, and a researcher.
Ekaterini Maria Lyras (she/her)
Location: Berlin, Germany
Status: Researcher at Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Like everybody else, academics deserve to exist in kind, inclusive and safe environments that systemically prioritise their mental wellbeing.
Elba Quintanilla (she/her)
Location: Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Status: a change management, leadership and talent development consultant, as well as a private individual psychotherapist for over 10 years
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
I believe in unleashing the potential of human talents, by strengthening mental health and social-emotional skills in the individuals and by creating psychological safety environments that contribute to high development and upscaling innovation and collaboration.
Location: Cambridge, UK
Status: Science editor
Ephemeral Roshdy, B.Sc., B.A. (they/them)
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Status: Education Consultant and Freedom Builders Fellow
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Academia stands as a gateway to both professional advancement and the legitimization of knowledge. As academia welcomes new perspectives and peoples it must also update its systems to support their continued well being.
Graciela A. Unguez (she/her)
Location: Las Cruces, NM, USA
Status: Professor
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
“ Men ought to know that from the brain, and from the brain only, arise our pleasures, joys, laughter and jests, as well as our sorrows, pains, griefs and tears.” — Hippocrates We as scientists and scholars need to embrace our whole humanity, learn how to take care of ourselves and each other, take greater responsibility as leaders and role models, and not keep our mental health a “forgotten footnote”. We matter and we need to do better. Specifically, we need to move this conversation forward to see each other as whole people rather than only a sum of our successes and failures.
Hung Lo (he/him)
Location: Berlin, Germany
Status: Einstein PhD fellow in Systems Neurosciences at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Academia values diligence. Almost all scientists experience the fear of not working hard enough and won’t survive the toxic environment. The cost is way too high: we eliminate, instead of stand for, some of the most talented people due to mental health issues, which keeps the science away from advancing. The academic world should be a place that scientists can have the right headspace to inspire and be motivated, and shouldn’t be a place that is pushing people away.
Jaishree Subrahmaniam, PhD (she/her)
Location: Germany
Status: Plant ecologist, social worker, science communicator
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
From solving the climate crisis to providing food, science, as we know, holds the key to saving this planet. Yet, the mental health of researchers is a continually growing concern. I believe that only by understanding and addressing issues related to mental health in academia can we support the wellness of our current and future scientific leaders, and in turn, science itself!
Jelena Brasanac, M. Sc. (she/her)
Location: Berlin, Germany
Status: PhD fellow in Medical Neurosciences at Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Mental health is a state of being where each person can be their best self and contribute to their community. Nurturing mental health in academia will help people thrive and at the same time excel science.
Jenna Pfeifer (she/her)
Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Status: Masters student
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
In the academic world, there are many twists and turns. Every journey is unique so it can be difficult to find your way when you are following your own path. We often feel alone in this. This is why I believe it is important to build a strong support network that can help remove the stigma around mental health and provide students and faculty with the tools they need to support themselves and each other.
Jochen Weber
Location: New York City
Status: Support staff in academia since 2002
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
The way I look at mental health in academia, I see three major challenges: First, when students and postdocs enter an environment new to them, they receive very little training and support that would help people who not already have those skills to feel confident expressing whenever something clearly has gone off the rails, particularly on the relationship level. Second, the departmental and program structures that are supposed to create a healthy and productive environment seem to lack monitoring and feedback aspects that would sound the alarm when junior researchers for whatever reason cannot do that themselves. And finally, third, I sense that given the very different expectations between the corporate and academic research worlds—in terms of salary and also the amount of freedom of what to pursue, and the training one can expect—I would want funding agencies to implement rules that filter out poor mentors, who cannot fulfill their function appropriately. I do not see that as a punishment, but as a protection for the much more vulnerable population of what might otherwise seem to be “cheap labor”. Ultimately, I would like to see people come together as partners in the research endeavor, which would require everyone to pick up part of the responsibility to transform the system in that direction. And I'd like to help in that transformation.
Julia Huntenburg, PhD (she/her)
Location: Berlin, Germany and Lisbon, Portugal
Status: Software Engineer with the International Brain Laboratory
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
I love science, but I left academia, in large part because of systemic issues that foster power abuse and an unhealthy work-life balance. It was the right step for me, but I want academia to change, for my friends and colleagues, for the next generation of students, and for science itself. Great science needs great minds, and those minds come with all sorts of personalities, abilities, gender identities, etc. We loose so many of them by selecting for big egos and strong elbows only.
Katelyn Nelson, PhD (she/her)
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Status: Postdoctoral researcher
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Exhaustion and overwork are too often seen as status symbol. Most academics operate on a toxic "this is what I went through, suck it up" culture and its gone on far to long. Asking for help and taking time to prioritize your needs is not a sign of failure or laziness. Experiencing mental health illness is not a sign of weakness. Only by fighting the stigma of MH illness and fostering a supportive environment that encourages good MH practices in academia and beyond will we support the wellness of researchers and scientific growth.
Kira Fish, B. A. (she/they)
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Status: Currently a social worker in mental health; applying to PhD programs in marine geochemistry
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Our capitalist society prioritizes production and efficiency above all else, and this is pervasive throughout academia. When we don't allow for restful periods, we don't allow for the regenerative growth that is required for new ideas to flourish. New ideas are a cornerstone of academia, and we must prioritize the health of academics.
Krzysztof P. Herdzik, PhD
Location: Rugby, Warwickshire, UK
Status: Senior Optical Engineer
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Because one is the most productive when one is happy - and improving mental health of academics helps not only to build a better academic environment, where people are participating with satisfaction, but also helping science progress most rapidly.
Laura Neenan (She/her)
Location: Limerick, Ireland
Status: PhD student researching suicide prevention and pre service education
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
As a PhD student with lived experience of mental health disorders, I believe mental health is often neglected in the competitive world of academia. I hope that by increasing awareness of the importance of protecting our mental health we can create a more supportive environment where everybody is treated with the respect and kindness they deserve. I believe that a significant part of creating a more supportive environment in academia involves supporting those around you who may be experiencing bullying or mistreatment. I feel this quote by Elie Wiesel really captures the importance of this ‘What hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor, but the silence of the bystander’.
Lina Della Libera (she/ her)
Location: Hyderabad, India
Status: Undergraduate student in Social Sciences, majoring in Cognition, Brain and Behavior, Minerva Schools at KGI
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Mental Health in Academia is important to me because I have seen its effects personally and in my classmates. Academia is important and if its’ researchers are doing well, we will all benefit.
Linda Corcoran (she/ they)
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Status: Currently a Teagasc Walsh Scholar completing a MSc in Food
Science (by research) at University College Cork and Teagasc
Ashtown.
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Mental health is such a topic that is rarely, if ever, talked about in academia. Yet poor mental health and burnout are prevalent. We need to stop the vicious circle that academia has been in for too long. How many more people will we lose before it’s enough?
Liya Merzon, MSc (she/her)
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Status: PhD student
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
I believe it’s important in academia and everywhere else! Because many people still have a lot of prejudices about mental health and stigma around it is still strong. It’s important that people are able to recognize what is happening to them, name their struggle, and know that they are not alone in it. And most importantly, that they know they can reach out for help, that help exists. We all deserve support in our bad days, and we all deserve to have safe and supportive environment despite our mental or physical health conditions, color of skin, age, wages or whatever.
Lize van der Linden (she/her)
Location: Dresden, Germany
Status: PhD researcher in cellular biochemistry
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Mental health influences every aspect of our lives and experiences. I think mental health is often neglected in the competitive world of academia and this leads to a non-inclusive environment. Mental health needs to be acknowledged and emphasized in academia in order to progress.
Madalena S. Fonseca, Ph.D.(she/her)
Location: Oxford, United Kingdom
Status: Senior Research Associate, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Academia is a high stress environment: competitive, full of uncertainty, and where failure and rejection are an intrinsic part of the job. It is perhaps not surprising that mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, are seven times more prevalent in academia than the broader population (Evans et al. 2008). Yet, there is still a lot of stigma around mental health issues, a lack of appropriate training, and insufficient support. Having struggled myself and seen so many colleagues struggle, I feel passioned about making academia a more open, supportive, kinder, and healthier environment where the mental wellbeing of everyone involved is considered a top priority.
Małgorzata (Gosia) Anna Gazda, PhD
Location: Paris, France
Status: Postdoctoral researcher
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Mental health is often neglected but it is crucial pillar of our healthy existence and ultimately professional success. I believe that by improving the mental conditions of students, postdocs and faculties we have a chance to not only make academic environment better but also make our science better. Happy people, healthy university, excellent science!
Marta Bastos de Oliveira (she/her)
Location: Berlin, Germany
Status: PhD researcher in developmental biology
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
As academia becomes more diverse, it would be meaningful to take steps to make it an inclusive and kinder space. By investing in the mental health of scientists, we are supporting them to reach their potential and goals without harming their health and make better and more reproducible research.
Melina Dederichs
Location: Düsseldorf, Germany
Status: Researcher
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Working in academia holds a variety of challenges that are unique to its environment. We need to start talking about what too many of us experience in order to start changing it into an inclusive, fair and safe workplace.
Meshach Andres Pierre
Location: USA & Guyana
Status: MA student in Criminology, Law and Society at the University of Florida
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Academia trains and informs current and next generations of leaders across all levels of society. Mental health awareness reminds us that we are more than our work, and keeps us aware of what connects us in our fields and beyond: our common humanity.
Muhammad Moshtohry
Location: Raleigh, NC, US
Status: Physics PhD Student
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Everyday we lose people to mental health. I have lost a few. I want to be a part of it not happening to anyone.
Dr. Dr. Olga (Olya) Vvedenskaya (she/her)
Location: Berlin, Germany
Status: Scientific communication officer in industry
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Mental health is a basis everything else stands on.
Raghav V. Sampangi, PhD (he/him/his)
Location: Halifax, Canada
Status: Senior Instructor & Director of Master of Applied Computer Science, Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, Canada
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
The competitive culture in academia can become very toxic if we do not recognize the unique experiences & well-being of individuals. Our mind is an important part of our existence. Since struggles in our psychological health are not externally visible, they are easy to ignore and if left that way, it can impact our overall well-being. There is no health without mental health, and this is more important in academia in which we hope to train the next generation academics. Fostering a culture of kindness & psychological safety in academia are very important, especially when our ability to create new knowledge is a driving force of the economy!
Rama Sakkour (she/her)
Location: Latakia, Syria
Status: Pharmacy and pharmaceutical chemistry BSc student, research assistant
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Because of the massive pressure on students and researchers and how it can affect their lives, they may experience stress, fear and insecurity as well as anxiety, depression and burn out. Mental health is extremely crucial to make magnificent achievements, stay focused and most importantly remain healthy. Physical therapy is working hand in hand with mental therapy, that's why we should spread the awareness of the importance of mental health issues. I support the quote that says "mental health is not a destination, but a process, it's about how you drive not where you're going".
Ruchama (Roo) Steinberg, Ph.D. (she/her)
Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA
Status: PhD Scientist
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
For too long mental health in academia has been an afterthought, only discussed after something terrible happens that could have been prevented. The extreme pressure, long-hours, and perceived failure experiment after experiment that are the hallmarks of academia, create an environment uniquely capable of both inducing and exacerbating mental health struggles in even the most resilient, for students, post-docs, and faculty alike. As a graduate student I worked to close this gap in mental health and wellness programming, but systemic and sustainable change needs to come from the top down if we are to care for all members of our academic community. Science is hard, but no one should have to sacrifice their health in order to achieve success. In enhancing the mental health of our best and brightest, we are safeguarding the future of academia as well.
Senaida Hernández Santana, PhD (she/her)
Location: Madrid, Spain
Status: PhD in Quantum Physics, Research Assistant at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
At the moment, the academic system is based on competition and, thus, everyone pushes themselves to their own limits. However, some people may push themselves a bit too far. If this was to happen to an athlete, they would damage their knee and everyone would understand that they need time to recover to keep competing. They may even look for ways to heal from the injury faster and prevent damage in the future. This is very different when it comes to academia, where people compete with invisible "damaged knees" all the time. This is not only affecting to their own well-being, but also to the work culture where science stands on and to the quality of science itself. It is also affecting relationships, collaborations and ideas. And, in some cases, it is endangering lifes.
This is not okey and should not be happening, not for people, not for science.
Sofia Silva, MSc (she/her)
Location: São Bernardino, Portugal
Status: PhD student on biological sciences; freelancer on editorial services; therapist; science coordinator of Sea Shepherd Portugal; host member of Mental Health Swims
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Ignoring mental health is ignoring part of each of us - 1/4 of our being. And it’s not without balance, nurturing and care for each of them that we will achieve our best results - the best version of ourselves. That is of interest to every area of our life, and most importantly for us.
Suzana P. Salcedo, PhD (she/her)
Location: Lyon, France
Status: Principal Investigator
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
In the past I had a staff scientist leave my group because she did not feel well in my lab, was struggling and this severely impacted her well-being. All this under my watch as a PI. Since that moment I have vowed for this never to happen again and made mental health a priority for my team. Mental health is absolutely key for productivity and creativity, both essential for successful research. I am very passionate about science and I now aim to create a welcoming, safe and supportive environment for all.
Syma Ahmed
Location: Sydney, Australia
Status: MSc (Marketing Management). Master of Tourism & Hospitality. MBA (Finance). Certified Practising Marketer
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
I believe academic mental health deserves more attention than it receives. Learning is a chance to turn on some lights. It's our collective loss when the lights get dimmed. As humans, we thrive when we are seen, heard, and appreciated in a supportive, non-toxic culture. We need to imagine a world where positive mental health of academics and students in higher education leads to better outcomes for the world.
Thara Bastian Antony, MSc
Location: Quilon, India
Status: MSc Biotechnology, Amrita University
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
I think mental health is important in academia because all of us can support each other better and improve the work we do, to betterment of science and humanity.
Tejasvi Parupudi, PhD
Location: Dallas, TX
Status: Postdoctoral research associate
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Teresa Mayer, M. Sc. (she/her)
Location: Jena, Germany
Status: PhD student in plant microbiology
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Academic culture is very challenging and demanding and the work environment is not necessarily supporting people in doing science – if you do not fit in or function well enough the system lets you down. I have seen enough great scientists struggle because of this toxic environment and I hope in increasing awareness we can create a more supporting environment for everyone.
Tiffany I. Leung, MD, MPH, FACP, FAMIA (she/her)
Location: Maastricht, The Netherlands
Status: Assistant Professor (M.D. Internal Medicine) and PhD candidate (Creating Value in Care, Care and Public Health Research Institute), Maastricht University
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
As an academic physician, I’ve encountered reduced mental health among peers in medicine and/or research, both as a colleague/co-worker and also as patients. For such brilliant, high-functioning people to be so vulnerable to and stigmatized for being mentally unwell and even suicidal is heartbreaking. My expertise is in physician suicide, but I believe that many of the principles are similar across professions, countries, and cultures: normalizing mental health dialogue, reducing barriers to help-seeking, implementing evidence-based prevention in acute, chronic, and crisis situations, and standardizing postvention as a method of prevention. Analogous to the collaborative ideals of science, I believe that by working across disciplines to educate, engage, and empower our academic communities and beyond, we are advocating for our own mental health and that of countless others.
Victor See, PhD (he/him)
Location: Exeter, UK
Status: Postdoctoral researcher (astrophysics) at the University of Exeter
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
I have first hand experience of mental health problems (generalised anxiety disorder) and have seen too many colleagues go through similar struggles. From a practical point of view, mental health issues only make academics less effective at what we do. More importantly though, is the human aspect. We are all human beings deserving of a supportive, respectful and healthy working environment.
Vic Zamloot (they/them and he/him)
Location: Duarte, CA, US
Status: Biology PhD Student
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Academic culture is steeped in toxic notions that we are not good scientists unless we are overworked and suffering. Too often I hear academics, particularly in STEM, perpetuate this environment by stating that since they suffered, others should too or they will not become adequate scientists. Further, it is expected that developed mental health conditions should be ignored and overcome rather than helped, and that this help must not interfere with scientific productivity, which is an impossible task. For the future of scientists like me, this cannot continue.
Wangari Joyce Ngugi
Location: Kenya, East Africa
Status: Candidate, Doctor of Psychology, PsyD, Clinical Psychology, United States International University-Africa
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
I believe holistic health and wellbeing are critical to achieving the fulfillment of academic goals. The whole self in balance is critical, such as in practicing mindfulness in order to help others and explore new meaning. Academic consortia often overlook the nuanced expressions of members' overwhelm, which may lead to graduation delays, attrition, or stress. In cases of overwhelming stress, it is critical to intervene.
Wendy Marie Ingram, PhD (she/her)
Location: Oakland, CA, USA
Status: PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology, currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in Psychiatric Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Science is hard enough on its own. People shouldn’t have to suffer to do what they love.
Zoë Ayres, PhD (she/her)
Location: Warwick, United Kingdom
Status: Mental Health Advocate
Twitter Handle: @ZJAyres
Why do you think mental health in academia is important?
Mental health is just as important as physical health, yet there is still a lot of stigma around mental health. For us to be our best selves we need to be able to be open and honest about every facet of ourselves. That way we can be creative and truly excel in academia. I also strongly believe that only by having a diverse set of people working on the most complex challenges of today, can we truly succeed.