Next Session: Managing Burnout and Resiliency—April 17, 2025, 2:30-4 p.m. ET
Learn strategies for maintaining balance while contributing to research, teaching and scientific discovery. Attendees will discover practical techniques to enhance resilience and reduce stress, including mindfulness practices and other coping strategies. We will also explore the prevalence and impact of burnout, particularly in STEM and discuss its effects on career navigation and overall well-being.
Additionally, speakers will share personal best practices for fostering resilience and maintaining a healthy work-life balance and offer personal insights on how integrating faith into resilience practices can serve as a powerful tool for managing stress. This discussion will highlight the role of soul-care as a valuable resource for enhancing well-being in STEM fields. Ultimately, this session will empower attendees with actionable strategies to build resilience, navigate challenges and support both personal and professional growth.
Moderator:
- Melanie R. McReynolds, Ph.D., HHMI Hanna H. Gray Faculty Fellow, Pennsylvania State University.
Discussion Panelists:
- Tatsuya Akiyama, Ph.D., Emory University.
- Samuel Alvarez-Arguedas, Ph.D., UT Southwestern Medical Center.
- Lillian J. Brady, Ph.D., NIH MOSAIC K99/R00 Scholar, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
- John F. Brooks, Ph.D., HHMI Hanna Gray Faculty Fellow, Princeton University.
- Chantell Evans, Ph.D., HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar, Duke University.
- Lauren Hagler, Ph.D., HHMI Hanna H. Gray Faculty Fellow, Texas A&M University.
- Derrick Morton, Ph.D., University of Southern California.
- Flora Rutaganira, Ph.D., HHMI Hanna H. Gray Faculty Fellow, Stanford School of Medicine.
Learning Goals:
- Identify the signs of burnout: recognize common indicators of burnout, including emotional, physical and mental exhaustion, and understand how it impacts productivity, motivation and well-being in STEM fields.
- Understand the impact of burnout in STEM: analyze how burnout affects individuals and the broader scientific community, including its influence on career progression, research innovation and workforce retention.
- Develop resiliency strategies: learn evidence-based techniques to build resilience, including mindfulness practices, self-care routines, boundary setting and stress management skills.
- Implement practical coping mechanisms: explore actionable steps to reduce stress and maintain well-being, such as time management strategies, work-life balance approaches and community support systems.
- Integrate personal and professional growth strategies: discover how personal values, purpose-driven work and mentorship can contribute to long-term career satisfaction and prevent burnout.
- Leverage faith and soul-care as tools for resiliency: examine the role of faith, spirituality and self-reflection in fostering a resilient mindset and maintaining motivation in challenging academic and research environments.
- Create a personalized action plan: develop individualized strategies to prevent burnout, maintain resilience and sustain engagement in scientific careers. We will break out into smaller groups at the following session to discuss these personalized action plans and implement best practices. We will recommend and invite our trainees to facilitate the small group discussions.
Format:
- Live webinar, 90-minute panel discussion, which includes 4 panelists.
- The panelists will participate in a 60-minute discussion/presentation on navigating the concept of burnout and how to develop resiliency in science.
- Attendees will participate in a 30-minute Q&A with the moderator and panelists.
- Attendees will receive a link to the recording and an invitation to participate in a live follow-up discussion with the panelists on May 15, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. ET.