EPEC6

Keeping work and leisure time in a healthy balance can be difficult, during PhD as well as afterwards. Dr Ayres will cover back-to-basics on why we should care about mental health in academia, explore the current stats around academic mental health, highlight some of the key challenges being faced at different career stages throughout academia, and discuss strategies we can implement to improve research culture for everyone. The aim of this talk is to raise awareness around mental health within academia and get the conversation started. Dr Zoë Ayres is an analytical scientist by background, with an undergraduate degree in Forensic Science, Masters in analytical chemistry and PhD in electrochemical sensor development. After spending several years in academia post-PhD, she moved to industry, and has been a senior scientist in the water industry for the last 4 years. Zoë is also a mental health advocate, working towards improving mental health in research settings, primarily focusing on graduate mental health. She raises awareness of the common issues grad students face through various campaigns and initiatives and is the author of the #mentalhealth poster series on Twitter.