Mental Health

Our mental health initiative, led by WiSE Mental Health Committee chair Kat Denney, uses a variety of projects to address the mental health struggles so common in the often high-stress world of science. Events hosted by the committee include:

  • Ask Us Anything: Featuring a panel of CSHL professors, we discuss topics related to trainee mental health and mentor-mentee relationships.
  • Real Stories of Science: Open mic nights where members of the CSHL community hear senior scientists talk openly about their own struggles, then contribute personal stories of struggles in a safe and supportive environment. We have had amazing turnout and sharing of experiences at both our 2018 and 2019 "open mic nights."
  • Tip-A-Day:  Being cognizant of the low morale in the midst of the 2020 pandemic, our previous Mental Health Chair, Connor Fitzpatrick, initiated a social media campaign to raise awareness about mental health during the month of May. This online series features data- and expert-based advice in a digestible format for the STEM Twitter community.
  • Resources: Helpful mental health resources!

The committee also provides resources to help address gender disparities in mental health. At 2018's In-House Educational Retreat, Tzvia Pinkhasov gave a talk on this topic and you can access her slides here: Pinkhasov slides. At our 2019 In-House Educational Retreat, Mor Keshet gave a presentation on: "Art Therapy as an Intersectional Conduit for Individual and Collective Empowerment." Her presentation looked at the history of art and its therapeutic value on regular mental well being, as well as those with illness.

Other resources are being collected by the WiSE community and shared on this website for anyone's access in the Mental Health Resources tab.

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