'The Microscopists' podcast tackles mental health in latest episode
A popular podcast presented by RMS President Peter O'Toole has turned its attentions to the pressing issue of mental health within the research community.
In the latest episode of 'The Microscopists' (produced by Bitesize Bio and sponsored by Zeiss), Pete interviews two internationally renowned researchers, Dr Beth Cimini (Senior Group Leader at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard) and Dr Kedar Narayan (Group Leader at the Center for Molecular
Microscopy), about their experiences with depression.
They are later joined by Jason Rodgers (Podcast Producer at Bitesize Bio and Postgraduate Researcher at Liverpool John Moores University), who shares his experience with debilitating anxiety.
Pete said: “I thought this was a really important topic to cover, and credit should go to Beth, Kedar, and Jason for being brave and open to discussing their history, especially as, for some, this was the first time that they had spoken about it,”
He added: “Despite being a very serious issue, the guests kept things entertaining and, at times, light-hearted. It shows that mental health issues do not need to get in the way of being highly successful scientists. It was great to hear how they, or those around them, realized that they needed to seek support."
The episode aims to inspire cultural change and practical support for mental health in scientific research environments. The discussion also highlights the fact that mental health problems can affect scientists at all stages of their careers.