Working Scientist

Nature Careers
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Working Scientist

Working Scientist is the Nature Careers podcast. It is produced by Nature Portfolio, publishers of the international science journal Nature. Working Scientist is a regular free audio show featuring advice and information from global industry experts with a strong focus on supporting early career researchers working in academia and other sectors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. FEB 28

    How academia’s ‘lone wolf’ culture is harming researcher mental health

    Academia’s focus on individual achievement can be a breeding ground for poor mental health, says astrophysicist Kelly Korreck. Korreck, who experienced pandemic-related burnout while working on NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, describes a competitive and ultimately damaging ‘lone wolf’ culture. She is joined by psychologist Desiree Dickerson to discuss how a stronger focus on group success can better protect researchers. Dickerson also calls for improved onboarding processes for early career researchers. They should involve clear conversations about looming challenges, including first person accounts from people who faced work-related stress, anger, anxiety and depression, she argues. “If we only value papers and funding, then of course, we protect those who have great papers and bring in lots of funding. We don’t look after the well-being of the people who actually need to be looked after,” she says. Social and clinical psychologist Ciro De Vincenzo reflects on the positive emotions he felt and witnessed during a fieldwork project as part of his research into migration patterns in the European Union. In contract, his experience of academic life at the University of Padua, Italy, was often less positive, pervaded by a strong sense of imposter syndrome and professional isolation. But being elected to the university senate enabled him to explore the systemic changes needed to improve researcher mental health, he says. And finally, Tammy Steeves, a conservation genomicist at the University of Canterbury in Chistchurch, New Zealand, describes her involvement in the Kindness in Science initiative, a movement to counter many of the perverse incentives that pervade academia, and its achievements to date. This is the final episode of this eight-part podcast series Mind matters: academia’s mental health crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min

  2. FEB 21

    How to bring health and happiness to your lab

    A relentless pursuit of perfection in science can mean that researchers are in perpetual and self-critical ‘survival mode,’ forever questioning their behaviours and actions in the workplace, says clinical psychologist Desiree Dickerson. “We are not very good at taking the spotlight off ourselves, a pressure that can lead to burnout other mental health problems, adds Dickerson, who is based in Valencia, Spain. To boost workplace well-being, Ellen Wehrens describes the impact of a happiness programme that was introduced in 2019 to her lab at the Princess Máxima paediatric oncology centre in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The programme includes both a buddying system and a colour-coded index that enables individuals to signal to colleagues how they are feeling. “So green, you are doing great, yellow, not so much, and red, you are not doing well,” explains Wehrens. Ana Pineda, an ecologist who now runs I focus and write, an education and coaching business, says she began practicing yoga and meditation after feeling stressed at work. At the same time she also actively enlisted the support of friends and colleagues, describing them as “angels.” Meditation, she adds, enables her to find joy, even when faced with daunting tasks. This episode is the penultimate one in Mind Matters, an eight-part podcast series on mental health and wellbeing in academia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 min

  3. FEB 14

    ‘Researching climate change feels like standing in the path of an approaching train’

    Three researchers with personal experience of anxiety and depression triggered by studying the environmental destruction caused by a changing climate describe the steps they take to protect their mental health. Ruth Cerezo-Mota, a climate scientist based at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City, found herself grieving for the state of the planet through her work for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Experiencing a panic attack at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a fear of checking emails and a sense of disengagement from work, led to her seeking professional help. “I was in a really dark place,” she tells Adam Levy. Retreating to a “happy place” that combines home, books, yoga, running, cats and wine is a key copying strategy when things get tough, she says. Similar experiences are recounted by Dave Reay, a climate scientist at the University of Edinburgh UK, and Daniel Gilford, a meteorologist who works at Climate Central, a science-led non-profit based in Princeton, New Jersey, that researches and reports the facts about climate change and its effects on peoples lives. Talking to other climate researchers and focusing on positive developments around climate change also helps, says Reay. Gilford, who is based in Orlando, Florida, likens climate change to being in the path of an approaching train: “I can see it coming with all of its weight and heaviness, and I’m screaming ‘Stop. Stop the train. Stop the train.’ “By screaming, by saying what is happening, by naming the problem and telling people about it, I think that that can become a solution as well,” he says. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 min

  4. FEB 7

    How my research focus exposed me to threats and harassment

    Krutika Kuppalli, a physician researcher who studies emerging infectious diseases, joined the World Health Organization in 2021, where she worked to combat the COVID-19 on a global level. She had previously been targeted by threats and harassment as a result of media and US congressional appearances to inform the public about the emerging pathogen. These were often focused on her race and gender. Concerned for her safety, Kuppalli went to the police twice. She was told to get a weapon. She tells Adam Levy how employers can support colleagues who face harassment, and the measures she took to protect herself. Kuppalli is joined by Atom Lesiak, a transgender non-binary genome sciences researcher based in Houston, Texas. Lesiak now runs Atomic Brains, a science tutoring and coaching organisation. Being open about their gender as a PhD student and beyond brought profound challenges. It forced them to question their decision to pursue a career in academia. This episode is the fifth in Mind Matters, an eight-part series on mental health and wellbeing in academia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min

  5. JAN 31

    ‘There is life after burnout in academia’

    Kelly Korreck tells Adam Levy how a once-loved career in science gradually left her feeling exhausted, upset, and chronically stressed, with accompanying feelings of imposter syndrome. In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic deprived Korreck, an astrophysicist then working on NASA's Parker Solar Probe, of the favourite parts of her job. These included face-to-face mentoring, public engagement and conference travel. ”It really took a toll,” she says. ”There was none of the joy that I experienced previously. I thought it was my fault, that I was an imposter. I had gotten to this level, and I just wasn't good enough.” Desiree Dickerson, a clinical psychologist based in Valencia, Spain, outlines the different stages of burnout, and how the academic culture often encourages researchers to present a ”shiny façade” to the world. Dickerson, who works with academic institutions to develop healthier and more sustainable approaches to research, outlines three different stages of burnout, and how and when to seek help. This episode is the fourth in Mind Matters, an eight-part series on mental health and wellbeing in academia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 min

  6. JAN 24

    ‘Do I need to lead this lifestyle to succeed?’ The mental health crises that forced faculty members to change tack

    Hilal Lashuel and Dave Reay join Michelle Kimple to talk about faculty mental health and why it is often overlooked. A heart attack in 2016 forced Lashuel, a neurogenerative diseases researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, to question success in science and how it is defined. The pressure to be an excellent researcher, manager, accountant and mentor can exact a heavy mental toll, he says. Since his heart attack Lashuel has taken steps to reduce his workload and spend more time with his family, but also to lobby for systemic change in academia to better support faculty colleagues who are struggling. Climate scientist Dave Reay describes the mental health problems he experienced as a PhD student and the suicidal thoughts it triggered. Now, as a faculty member at the University of Edinburgh, UK, he is protective of family time, talks openly about the struggles he faced, and champions kindness at work and in his pastoral role as a supervisor. Finally, Michelle Kimple, an endocrinology researcher at the University of Wisconsin Madison, describes how junior colleagues react to her openness about her bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This episode is the third in an eight-part series about mental health and wellbeing in academia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min

  7. JAN 17

    How to be a brilliant ally to your neurodivergent lab mate

    Charlotte Roughton says she developed a deep-rooted shame and resentment towards her autism diagnosis, causing her to mask the condition during her biosciences degree at the University of Durham, UK. But socially camouflaging and striving to appear as neurotypical to others led to burnout and poor mental health, she tells Adam Levy. The COVID-19 pandemic, which straddled her Masters and PhD programmes, was a turning point. She cultivated a community via social media, becoming an advocate for neurodiversity in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Being neurodivergent brings benefits to her role as a biological teaching technician at the University of Newcastle, UK, she says. She offers advice and how and when to disclose an autism diagnosis at work, based on her own experience, and how institutions and lab mates can support neurodivergent colleagues. Endocrinology researcher Michelle Kimple tells a similar story, recounting the relief she felt on receiving a bipolar and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. She describes how this impacts her role as a faculty member in the department of medicine at the University of Wisconsin Madison. In 2024 Kimple wrote about her experiences in Nature, prompting other neurodiverse scientists to get in touch, and enabling her to mentor and support others. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    29 min

  8. JAN 10

    Mind matters: investigating academia’s ‘mental health crisis’

    Why do so many academics struggle to ‘power down’ at the end of a long working day, and what are the longer-term health effects of failing to switch off at evenings and weekends? Desiree Dickerson is a clinical psychologist based in Valencia, Spain, who works with academic institutions to develop healthier and more sustainable approaches to research. She joins Simone Lackner to discuss why poor mental health is often so prevalent in academia, and often described as reaching crisis proportions. Lackner is a multidisciplinary researcher and ambassador for the Researcher Mental Health Observatory (REmO), an international network focussed on wellbeing and mental health within academia. In 2022 she founded The Empathic Scientist, a consultancy which focuses on wellbeing and inclusion in academia. This episode is the first of an eight-part series on mental health and wellbeing in academia. Over the next few weeks Adam Levy will be speaking with a wide range of people who share their own experiences and expertise, including potential solutions to a longstanding problem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    20 min
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3.3
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

Working Scientist is the Nature Careers podcast. It is produced by Nature Portfolio, publishers of the international science journal Nature. Working Scientist is a regular free audio show featuring advice and information from global industry experts with a strong focus on supporting early career researchers working in academia and other sectors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Nature Careers
  • Years Active
    2007 - 2025
  • Episodes
    188
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Working Scientist

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