Mental health: Rethinking growth and resilience in the research ecosystem

In the this episode, science journalist Izzie Clarke speaks with Lori Foster, President of the International Association of Applied Psychology, and Yensi Flores Bueso, Co-Chair of the Global Young Academy, about the mental health and well-being of early- and mid-career researchers. The discussion explores how structural pressures – from precarious contracts and hyper-competition to cultural expectations of constant productivity – affect motivation, collaboration, and mental resilience across the research ecosystem. Both guests highlight that protecting researchers’ well-being is not only a moral duty but essential for the sustainability and creativity of science itself.