Wellbeing, inclusivity and collegiality are no longer peripheral topics in academia. They are fundamental to creating research environments in which both people and science can thrive. Yet these issues are often discussed informally rather than addressed systematically.
The idea of the FEBS Congress 2026 Education Special Session, Wellbeing in Times of Change: Finding Balance in an Unbalanced Academic World, can be traced to the planning of the FEBS Education and Training Conference (ETC) 2026. The Education and Training Committee chose wellbeing as one of the conference’s central themes, recognising the growing need to support students, researchers and educators in navigating increasing workloads, career uncertainty, mental-health challenges, and the need for more inclusive and supportive academic environments.
To explore these issues, the committee invited Professor Aviad Haramati (Georgetown University Medical Center) to give a plenary lecture on wellbeing at the ETC in Kuşadası, Türkiye. He highlighted how mindfulness and reflective practices can support resilience and wellbeing and help prevent burnout. His lecture and practical workshop were very well received and encouraged us to take the conversation further.
The next step was the FEBS Congress 2026 in Maastricht, where the Education Session broadened the discussion beyond wellbeing to two closely connected aspects of research culture: inclusivity and collegiality. To provide complementary perspectives, we invited Professor Cormac Taylor, who explored the importance of inclusive academic cultures and a sense of belonging, and Dr Kay Guccione, who focused on practical approaches to fostering healthier research environments through leadership, supervision and researcher development.
Professor Cormac Taylor at University College Dublin, Ireland, is a professor of cellular biochemistry and a strong advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion in science. In his talk LGBTQIA+ scientists in STEM: Too little pride in progress? he addressed LGBTQIA+ inclusion and belonging in STEM, highlighting the continuing lack of visible role models and the fact that many researchers still feel unable to be open about their identity for fear of negative career consequences. He argued that visibility of LGBTQIA+ scientists – past and present – are important not only for equality, but also for the wellbeing and confidence of early-career researchers. Creating safe and respectful research environments requires recognition that diversity strengthens both research culture and science itself.
Dr Kay Guccione of the University of Glasgow, United Kingdom, is an internationally recognised expert in researcher development, supervision and research culture. Her work focuses on fostering healthier academic environments through collegiality, leadership and effective support for researchers at all career stages. In her presentation, How might we create a culture of thriving through research relationships: moving from small actions to grand designs, Dr Guccione argued that research excellence and wellbeing are inseparable from the quality of our everyday interactions. She demonstrated how purposeful collegiality, that can be characterised by respectful leadership, generosity, collaboration and inclusion, can strengthen research culture, improve workplace experiences and ultimately enhance scientific excellence. Drawing on initiatives at the University of Glasgow, she illustrated how institutions can move beyond recognising individual achievements to actively rewarding collegial behaviours, while emphasising that meaningful cultural change begins with small, intentional actions that everyone can take.
To provide a broader context for the discussion, we also launched a pre-congress survey on wellbeing, inclusivity and collegiality in academia. Although its approximately 250 responses are preliminary and not representative of academia as a whole, the survey offers a valuable snapshot of current experiences and identifies recurring challenges that resonated strongly throughout the session.
The survey explored workload, psychological safety, career development, institutional support, inclusivity and collegiality. Many respondents reported long working hours and work regularly extending into their personal lives. Psychological safety was also a concern, with some participants not feeling comfortable expressing concerns or disagreements. Career development and institutional support were identified as areas needing improvement, and many respondents had considered leaving academia because of wellbeing or mental health concerns. Despite these challenges, most still found their work meaningful—a powerful reminder of the commitment and sense of purpose that continue to draw people to science. [Read the survey results in more detail: Wellbeing in the Academic World]
The audience discussion brought these issues into everyday academic life. Participants spoke about heavy administrative and teaching workloads, unequal power relationships, and the challenge of leading and supporting research teams. One important point was that PIs are often selected for their scientific achievements, although being an excellent scientist does not automatically make someone a good leader. Better leadership training, institutional accountability and 360-degree evaluation were suggested as possible ways forward. The discussion also highlighted inequalities experienced by women and the difficulties junior researchers may face in speaking up against powerful senior colleagues. At the same time, participants stressed that small actions matter. As one postdoctoral researcher put it, even a PI simply asking “How are you?” can make a difference by showing that they see the researcher as a person. The message was clear: institutions need to address leadership, power and accountability, but each of us can also start with small changes in how we treat and support the people around us.
Perhaps the strongest indication of the importance of this topic came after the session had officially ended. Many participants approached the organisers and speakers to thank them for bringing wellbeing, inclusivity and collegiality into the programme of a scientific congress. Several shared their own experiences and expressed the hope that conversations like these would continue within their own universities and research institutions.
Together, the survey findings and invited presentations reinforced a common message: improving wellbeing cannot rely solely on individual resilience. Sustainable change requires supportive leadership, inclusive cultures and institutional commitment. The conversation, however, should not end with this session. Use these results as a starting point for discussion in your own departments, research groups and societies. Meaningful change begins by recognising the challenges, talking about them openly, and working together to create healthier, more inclusive and more collegial academic environments.
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Francesco Malatesta and Ferhan Sagin for our work together in developing and organising this session. Special thanks also to Nino Sincic for taking notes during the session and discussion.
ChatGPT (GPT-5.6 Sol, OpenAI) was used to assist with structuring the text and improving the English language and readability of this article.