ASU postdoctoral researcher leads initiative to support graduate student mental health
ASU Postdoctoral Researcher Olivia Davis (center) with other ASU postgraduates in the sciences who are dedicated to improving mental health in academic spaces. Photo courtesy of the School of Life Sciences
Olivia Davis had firsthand experience with anxiety and OCD before she entered grad school. Then, during the pandemic and as a result of the growing pressures of the graduate school environment, she felt those conditions begin to intensify.
Yet, when she searched for support, she was unable to find any communities focused on bolstering graduate student mental health. So, with the help of the Cooper Biology Education Research Lab at Arizona State University and funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Davis created the International Science Postgraduate Mental Health Alliance (ISPMHA).
The alliance represents the first international convening of individuals devoted to promoting mental health among postgraduates in academic science. It aims to create a community-driven space where graduate students and postdocs can discuss mental health issues, share experiences and support advocacy efforts.
The initiative will build off research led by Davis’ mentor, Katelyn Cooper, an assistant professor and discipline-based education researcher in the School of Life Sciences at ASU. “Our lab’s recent study of over 2,000 graduate students from 142 U.S. institutions identified specific aspects of research and teaching that worsen researchers’ mental health. The ISPMHA will leverage these findings to develop targeted interventions and advocate for changes in academic environments aimed to promote mental health among researchers,” Cooper said.
“The goal is to foster a space for students to voice their struggles, exchange ideas and inspire one another to bring about change in a way that’s manageable,” explained Davis, a postdoctoral researcher in the Cooper Lab.
During her time as a graduate student, Davis became deeply involved in student advocacy, particularly around mental health. She served on the School of Life Science’s executive board for graduate students as one of the mental health chairs, gaining insight into how resources were distributed and what gaps existed. This role ultimately connected her to Cooper, with whom she applied for the NSF grant to bring the ISPMHA to life. As part of her postdoctoral work, she is now focused on “applying research into practice” — taking theoretical findings and grounding them in actionable strategies.
The alliance seeks to create a truly inclusive, international community. With events like monthly listening sessions, the alliance will provide a safe platform for students to discuss their mental health struggles and institutional challenges. The sessions aim to gather insights that could inform future initiatives, while a monthly newsletter will spread information on effective strategies and resources other schools have implemented to support student well-being. “This is about creating a system where participants can find not only resources but also each other, inspiring change from the ground up,” Davis said.
She emphasizes that sharing personal stories can break down the “stiff barriers” often present in STEM fields. Traditionally, science has emphasized objectivity, making it difficult for students to feel they can bring their full selves to their work. “By normalizing conversations around mental health and personal challenges, we’re making the scientific community more inclusive,” she said.
“Mental health stressors grow in silence and secrecy. When graduate students choose to name their stressor to a peer, or a professional, they are taking a significant step in changing the direction of their stress,” said Erin Trujillo, assistant vice president and director of Counseling Services at ASU.
In addition to the alliance, Cooper and Davis’ NSF-funded grant includes the creation of Fail Safe Science — a video repository that features interviews with successful scientists reflecting on their failures in graduate school and how they overcame them. The idea is to help graduate students view setbacks as learning experiences and remind them that challenges are a normal part of academic life. The platform will allow students to filter videos by scientist identity and failure type, providing personalized inspiration and advice.
“Fail Safe Science will show students they’re not alone in feeling challenged and that overcoming setbacks can lead to growth,” Davis said. This resource is expected to launch next year and will serve as a cornerstone of the alliance’s offerings.
At ASU, graduate students are offered professional health support and resources that are timely and confidential. Open Call and Open Chat offers simple access to connect with emotional health and well-being support, with services available in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Korean and Spanish. This service is available across the globe, supporting graduate students as they travel for home or work pursuits. ASU Counseling Services and ASU Health Services have offices at all four campuses, offering in-person or telehealth appointments.
“These timely resources, whether it be a regularly scheduled student organization activity or a same-day availability to speak to a counselor, all are designed to support a student when they choose to voice their mental health symptoms or needs to another person,” Trujillo said. “This choice of speaking to a trusted resource can change a class, a semester, a dissertation or a degree path.”
In a field that has long struggled with retaining diverse voices, Davis hopes that this initiative will inspire students to stay and thrive. She firmly believes that "if students can see others who are like them and who are succeeding, they’re more likely to feel like they belong and that their unique experiences bring value to the scientific community.”
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