Voices of Academia

By Emily King

*ON A BREAK* Researchers from around the world open up about their mental health within academia. They might laugh, cry, or say things you disagree with. But this is lived experience - not professiona... more

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FAQs about Voices of Academia:

How many episodes does Voices of Academia have?

The podcast currently has 32 episodes available.

Voices of Academia episodes:

May 18, 202230. Trying to Feel Good Enough | Dr. Jennifer Paxton
Dr. Jennifer Paxton acknowledges that her feelings of inadequacy had always been there but were amplified during the transition to motherhood. She opens up about an interaction with an empathetic colleague that shocked her into seeking support. TW/CW: Themes of suicidal ideation
A Senior Lecturer in Anatomy, PI of a tissue engineering lab, wife and mother, Jennifer opened up in the last episode about parenting as an academic during COVID-19. This is the second part of her story.
If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
Jennifer’s blog piece – ‘Return of the Mummy – the trials and triumphs of a life post maternity leave.’

Paxton Lab website

Jennifer’s lecturing profile
Helpful health and wellbeing books
Reasons to Stay Alive – Matt Haig

Notes on a Nervous Planet – Matt Haig
Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Recorded: 10/09/2021.
Sound: Theme music is “Mindset” by Ketsa; podcast edited by DanPatricksAudio.
...more
53min
May 04, 2022 29. Parenting as an Academic during COVID-19 | Dr. Jennifer Paxton
Senior Lecturer, PI, wife and mother, Dr. Jennifer Paxton, opened up about feelings of embarrassment, guilt, anger and acceptance in response to professional contacts seeing her home life in online meetings and lessons. She highlighted specific frustrations of being a parent in Academia. She also courageously opened up in the final 15 minutes about her decision making process for having a child. She, like many of us, was putting off major personal milestones because of the pressure of academia.
If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
- Jennifer’s blog piece – ‘Return of the Mummy – the trials and triumphs of a life post maternity leave.’
- Paxton Lab website
- Jennifer’s lecturing profile
- Helpful health and wellbeing books
Reasons to Stay Alive – Matt Haig
Notes on a Nervous Planet – Matt Haig
Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Recorded: 10/09/2021.
Sound: Theme music is “Mindset” by Ketsa; podcast edited by DanPatricksAudio.
...more
54min
April 20, 2022 28. Preventative Care for PMDD | Elana Gloger
5th year Health Psychology PhD Candidate and creator of the Dear Grad Student podcast, Elana Gloger, chats about maintaining wellness - creating space between where you’re at, and your tipping point to becoming unwell. She encourages leaning in to your unique needs and remembering that ‘you’re not other people.’
Elana opened up previously, in episode 27, about how premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) impacted her life and PhD before it was well managed.
CW: swearing, sexual references
This episode touches on:
- Running through the woods, reality TV, and the desire to be a mother
- Alleviating fears of medication
- Accepting that seeking external help is not a weakness
- Impacts of unmanaged PMDD on a partner
- Common treatment options for PMDD
- Selecting an appropriate and affordable provider
- The annoying fact that exercise actually helps
If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
Dear Grad Student Podcast
- Twitter: @deargradstudent
- Instagram: @deargradstudentpod
- Facebook: Dear Grad Student
- Website: deargradstudent.com
- Mental health podcast episodes: deargradstudent.com/mental-health
PMDD resources
- @iapmdglobal (twitter) and iapmd.org (website) provides evidence-based information about PMDD.
- Tory Eisenlohr-Moul studies menstrual cycle effects on PMDD
YouTube: ‘Your cycle in 3 minutes’ – contemporary dance interpretation of the impacts of the menstrual cycle
App: Flo – for learning about and starting to track your menstrual cycle
Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Recorded: 14/01/2022.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa
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1h
April 06, 2022 27. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and a PhD | Elana Gloger
Emily chats with Elana Gloger, who opens up about how premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) impacted her life and PhD before it was well managed.
TW/CW: Suicidal ideation, swearing
This episode covers:
- Elana’s favourite, I mean F-A-V-O-U-R-I-T-E video game, her childhood likeness to Angelica from the Rugrats, and being a child of divorce
- A description of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and premenstrual exacerbation (PME)
- How Elana’s diagnosis of PMDD unfolded
- An explanation of the menstrual cycle!
- The moment Elana decided to get support for mismanaged PMDD
- The potential future clash between PMDD medication, pregnancy, and applying for tenure track
- The impact of unmanaged PMDD on Elana’s PhD
- First steps to take if you think you might have PMDD
If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
- Dear Grad Student Podcast
    - Twitter: @deargradstudent
    - Instagram: @deargradstudentpod
    - Facebook: Dear Grad Student
    - Website: deargradstudent.com
    - Mental health podcast episodes: deargradstudent.com/mental-health
- PMDD resources
    - @iapmdglobal (twitter) and iapmd.org (website) provides evidence-based information about PMDD.
    - Tory Eisenlohr-Moul studies menstrual cycle effects on PMDD
- YouTube: ‘Your cycle in 3 minutes’ – contemporary dance interpretation of the impacts of the menstrual cycle
- App: Flo – for learning about and starting to track your menstrual cycle

Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Interested in being interviewed? We’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
Recorded: 14/01/2022.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa
...more
1h 5min
March 23, 202226. Challenging Intrusive Thoughts | Dr. Andy Fraass
Emily chats with Dr. Andy Fraass, who opens up about support for anxiety that comes from his wife and daughters, improved sleep hygiene, and challenging intrusive thoughts.
Andy opened up previously, in episode 25, about social anxiety, learning he couldn’t trust his own self-perception, and the impacts of academia on family life.
This episode covers:
- Self-educating about indigenous cultures, science fantasy, and achieving the bucket list goals of professorship and family.
- Family support systems
- Meditation and improved sleep hygiene
- Methods of overcoming negative thought patterns
- The role parenting can play in encouraging self-care and self-management of symptoms
- The importance of supervisors being forgiving and understanding with students
- The surprising value in group therapy for those with social anxiety
If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
App: Calm – for improving health and happiness, and for sleep stories

Andy’s blog about anxiety in academia
Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Interested in being interviewed? We’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
Recorded: 19/11/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa
...more
49min
March 09, 202225. Being Your Own Worst Critic | Dr. Andy Fraass
Emily chats with Dr. Andy Fraass, who opens up about social anxiety, learning he couldn’t trust his own self-perception, and the impacts of academia on family life.
This episode covers:
The boy behind the family man, a career stemming from childhood media (Jurassic Park), and single-celled creatures that tell us about climate change and evolution

Andy’s family history of mental illness, and academics

The increased difficulty of hiding social anxiety with age, exacerbation of symptoms, and academic requirements for networking

The tenure track interview that made Andy realise he couldn’t trust his perception of his own performance

Post tenure-track openness about generalised and social anxiety disorders, and panic attacks

The impacts of academic pressure on family life

The mental health impacts of choosing to stay within an industry that can have significant detrimental effects on family
If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
App: Calm – for improving health and happiness

Andy’s blog about anxiety in academia
Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Interested in being interviewed? We’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Recorded: 19/11/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa
...more
58min
February 23, 202224. SPECIAL 1YR ANNIVERSARY EPISODE – How To Change The System That Sets Us Up To Fail | Andrea Hayward
TW/CW: Bullying and abuse
Emily chats with Andrea Hayward, a Project Manager for the CACTUS Communications ‘Joy and Stress Triggers: A global survey on mental health among researchers.’ They discuss open-ended answers from the survey, highlighting what institutions can do to ease work-related pressures, reduce barriers to seeking help, and encourage personal wellbeing of researchers. Andrea also opens up, for the first time, about experiences she had during her Masters, including being made to feel like she was never good enough.
This episode covers:
The purpose of CACTUS Communications and how the organisation became involved in the researcher mental health space

How Andrea’s work on the CACTUS Mental Health Initiative has made her aware, for the first time, of the psychological experiences she had during her Masters, including being made to feel like she was never good enough

The role of managing academia-induced stressors shouldn’t fall solely on the researcher

Suggestions to reduce barriers to seeking help and support in academia

What institutions can do to reduce work-related pressures and help encourage work-life balance and personal wellbeing of researchers

Some initiatives that are assisting researcher mental health

Different types of bullying

Improving policies to feel valued, safe, and included in academia
If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
Activities under the CACTUS Mental Health initiative:
The CACTUS Mental Health Survey reports
Twitter: CACTUS Mental Health Initiative
The CACTUS Mental Health Webinar series
The CACTUS Mental Health Video series
Researchers and Their Stories
‘R Voice’ – a private community forum for researchers to talk openly about what they’re going through
Mental health Internationally Delivering Support (MINDS) conference page

Academic mental health networks
Dragonfly Mental Health workshops available for universities and institutes to provide concrete steps for improving researcher mental health
PhD Balance
TAE Consortium (Transforming Academic Ecosytems)
Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Recorded: 12/11/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa
...more
1h 37min
February 09, 202223. Medication and Social Media Support | Seda Battilani
Emily chats with Seda Battilani, who opens up about juggling medication trials with work, disclosing medication use to a supervisor, and social media accounts for people with ADHD.
Seda opened up previously, in episode 22, about anxiety disorder, and pursuing an ADHD diagnosis as an international student.
This episode covers:
YouTube obsessions, choosing someone to share a life with, and the desire to settle in one country long-term

Juggling the impact of medication trials with work

Disclosing medication use to a supervisor and asking for extensions

Learning to cope better over time

The importance of honest communication

How ADHD can present

Rejection sensitivity

Social media accounts for people with ADHD
If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
Good places to start for ADHD
Insta: @the_mini_adhd_coach

TikTok: @connordewolfe

Seda is available on Twitter and via email
Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Interested in being interviewed? We’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Recorded: 07/09/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, available through Free Music Archive.
...more
59min
January 26, 202222. Anxiety, ADHD, and Living Abroad | Seda Battilani
Emily chats with Seda Battilani, who was drawn into research in linguistics after learning about the field during her undergrad. She became fascinated by how our communication impacts the way we perceive each other. Seda opens up about early struggles with an anxiety disorder, and the complexities of pursuing an ADHD diagnosis whilst also an international student.
This episode covers:
Seda’s COVID wedding and a crash course in her research (translanguaging and endangered languages)

The impact of the pandemic when abroad and doing a PhD

The road to being diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder

The mental health impacts of being an international student

Adjusting to higher work demands with ADHD

The vulnerability of pursuing a diagnosis

Lack of communication from medical professionals re: what to look out for when starting medication

Navigating visas and a foreign health system
If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
Good places to start for ADHD - Insta: @the_mini_adhd_coach, TikTok: @connordewolfe
Seda is available on Twitter and via email

Previous episode: 15. I will not be silenced | Dr. Clare Griffin – self-advocating for a diagnosis
Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Interested in being interviewed? We’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
Recorded: 07/09/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, available through Free Music Archive.
...more
1h 21min
December 15, 202121. Person-centred Mentoring | Dr. Kartik Aiyer
CW: Academic bullying and abuse
Emily chats with Dr. Kartik Aiyer, who opens up about the benefits of a good academic mentor and support network on mental health and productivity.
Kartik opened up previously, in episode 20, about the impact a poor Faculty relationship had on his mental health during his PhD.
This episode covers:
Kartik’s music obsession and the positive relationship with his family

The benefits of supportive research group culture on mental health but also productivity

The need to train and empower junior researchers to value their own contributions whilst also learning from the research experience of others

That clear, respectful communication between mentors and mentees is key

What to look for in a mentor

Places to seek mentors

Shutting out negative thoughts and focussing on personal strengths

Suggested policy shifts to improve mentoring and training
If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
Kartik’s blog post on ‘Empowering early career researchers and improving culture in academia.’

Kartik’s science communication blog

Professor Jen Heemstra – as a role model tweeting to bring out the best in researchers
Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Interested in being interviewed? We’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
Recorded: 04/10/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, available through Free Music Archive.
...more
57min

FAQs about Voices of Academia:

How many episodes does Voices of Academia have?

The podcast currently has 32 episodes available.

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