Moms, Mats and Manuscripts

In this episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, I sit down with my friend Katerina Danezi. Katerina finished her PhD with a baby on her hip, literally. She wrote 330 pages of her thesis in mere weeks, eight months postpartum, while breastfeeding and running on almost no sleep. In this episode, we talk about what it actually looks like to navigate pregnancy in the last year of a PhD: the lab politi...

After an emotionally challenging birth and a postpartum recovery marked by chronic pain, relationship breakdown, and identity crisis, my guest Munirah Razak, a yoga teacher, postpartum massage therapist, and matrescence coach, found her footing. Now she helps other mothers do the same. In this conversation, we explored matrescence - the profound, multi-dimensional transformation of becoming a moth...

What happens when you try to build a career and a family at the same time? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Lauren Mason - research scientist, higher education consultant, and creator of Lauren Finds a Way - to talk about motherhood in and around academia. We explore the realities of pregnancy during an academic career, including the feeling of being an “inconvenience,” navigating identity shifts...

What if the problem isn't that you're bad at goals... it's that the way we're told to set them is kind of broken? In this solo episode, I'm sharing how I've been doing goal-setting differently. Instead of the classic New Year's resolution that dies by mid-January, I've been doing quarterly check-ins - basically, sitting down every three months to look at wha...

In this second part of my conversation with scientific writer and science communicator Sónia Gomes Pereira on Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts , we move beyond leaving academia and into what comes next: building a freelance career, and a life that actually feels aligned. Sónia shares how she transitioned into freelance scientific and medical writing, how she found her first clients, and what it really...

In this episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts , I’m joined by scientific writer and science communicator Sónia Gomes Pereira to talk about the moment she realised that the traditional academic path simply wasn’t worth the cost. Sónia shares her journey from a curious science-loving kid to a PhD in integrative biology and biomedicine, navigating a complex interdisciplinary PhD project, and eventua...

The story of our today's guest, Ana Amaral, challenges the typical "I left academia because I burned out" narrative. With a biochemistry PhD, postdocs at Cambridge and Karolinska Institute, and an incredibly supportive boss, she had everything needed for academic success. Yet something was missing - so she decided to leave and look for it elsewhere. This episode explores how body wi...

Four years into self-employment, almost two years of this podcast... and instead of feeling settled, I’ve been sitting with a lot of mixed emotions. In this birthday reflection episode, I talk honestly about the thought many of us carry: “I should be further ahead by now.” I reflect on academic conditioning, linear timelines, grief around identity shifts, motherhood and building a business in “har...

Struggling with New Year’s resolutions, goal setting, or motivation as a PhD student, academic, or ambitious parent ? In this solo episode of Moms, Mats & Manuscripts , I talk about what is not working with traditional goal setting when you’re exhausted, and how to approach goals more gently and sustainably. We explore goals without burnout , realistic planning for busy seasons of life, and ho...

Welcome to the new chapter! In this solo episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts , I share what’s changing on the podcast in 2026 and my vision for the year ahead.  I talk about the upcoming episode series focused on motherhood in and around academia , including family planning during a PhD, parenting as a postdoc or researcher, identity shifts after becoming a mother, and balancing ambition with c...

In this honest and beautifully chaotic episode, Dr Asya Martirosyan joins me once again for a vulnerable conversation about starting a family in academia: the fears, ambitions, cultural expectations, and the persistent myth of “perfect timing.” We dive into the pressures placed on women in STEM to excel at everything: building a career, being a present mother, running a household, staying balanced...

In this episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, Ksenia sits down with Dr Asya Martirosyan to explore the highs and lows of life in academia, the pressures of PhD and postdoc work, and how she rediscovered her love for science when freed from external expectations. We dive into: The mental and emotional toll of PhD life and academic pressure; How cultural factors affect the way we work, perceive cr...

Public speaking, whether in a conference room or on stage, can feel absolutely terrifying. For many scientists, it’s part of the job, yet few of us are ever taught how to really do it: how to command a room, connect with an audience, and share our message with confidence and authenticity. In this episode, Ksenia talks with Emma Gaskin, a former speech therapist and founder of The Speaking Hub, who...

What makes a great mentor, and how can we create a healthier, more compassionate academic culture? In this episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts , we talk with Dr Liz Berry , assistant professor at New York Medical College and creator behind @dr.lizberry on Instagram and TikTok. Liz shares her honest experiences moving from PhD student to educator, how burnout shaped her approach to mentorship, a...

In this solo episode, Ksenia is reflecting on two years of motherhood and the 7 powerful lessons it has taught her about life, work, and growth. These are not just parenting lessons; they’re insights anyone can apply in their career, studies, or personal life, especially if you’ve ever struggled with boundaries, perfectionism, or identity in your work. She talks about: 🌱 The importance of mentors...

Do you ever feel like rest and self-care have become just another task on your never-ending to-do list? In this solo episode, Ksenia wraps up her 3-part series on rest and slowing down. She shares why so many of us turn self-care into another chore, why hustle culture and perfectionism convince us that we can “fail” at rest, and what that mindset is really costing us. From holidays that feel like...

In this episode, Ksenia is diving deeper into the idea that rest is an act of rebellion.  We've all been there: the pressure to constantly hustle, especially in fields like academia and other demanding careers, can be overwhelming. But what if slowing down and prioritising rest wasn't a sign of weakness, but a powerful act of resistance against a system that glorifies burnout? Ksenia sha...

What if slowing down was not a weakness, but a skill? In this solo reflection, Ksenia talks about how she went from constantly rushing (and feeling like rest was something she had to “earn”) to slowly learning the courage it takes to pause, breathe, and choose a different pace, even when the world (and her mind) is screaming “go faster.” She shares: - Why slowing down often feels so uncomfortable ...

In this intimate, honest episode, we (two moms and yoga teachers) open up about how yoga supported us through pregnancy, labour, and postpartum - not just in the physical sense, but in how we learned to listen to ourselves, surrender, roar, and recover. We reflect on:  🧘‍♀️ How our prenatal yoga routines shifted across trimesters  🔁 What we’d definitely do again and what we wish we had done diff...

Stress, overwork, and constant hustle can wreak havoc on your hormones, especially if you're constantly ignoring your natural cycle and your body's cues. In this episode, Ksenia sits down with hormone health expert Emilia Villegas to discuss how modern work culture impacts our hormonal well-being and what we can do to reclaim balance. We cover everything from how stress throws off your e...

In this honest and open conversation, we reflect on how our relationships with our bodies have evolved over the past decade, from student all-nighters and coffee-fueled burnout to a more attuned, mindful approach shaped by yoga, motherhood, and life experience. We explore: • What “body awareness” really means • How chronic stress, anxiety, and burnout show up physically • Our very different (but e...

This solo story gets personal: Ivna interviews Ksenia about the behind-the-scenes chaos (and beauty) of trying to build a meaningful, sustainable yoga business while raising a toddler full-time. We cover what it's like to feel like you're falling behind - and also exactly where you're supposed to be. Plus, we end with a tangent on Zumba, mindful movement, why yoga is the perfect ant...

What does home really mean when you've lived across half a dozen countries? In this heartwarming and honest episode, we share our personal journeys through Europe and Asia - from summer internships and PhDs to falling in love, becoming mothers, and redefining identity with every move. 💬 We talk about: - The unexpected butterfly effects that changed our lives 🌍 - What it's like to move...

In this powerful episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts , we sit down with neuroscientist and yoga teacher Sylvie Lahaie (aka Synaptic Sylvie) to unpack her journey through burnout, mental health struggles, and finding healing through yoga and mindfulness. Sylvie opens up about the toxic work culture in academia, overworking herself into collapse during her Master’s degree, and how a simple YouTub...

In this special first interview episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts , Ksenia sits down with Anahita Amirpour - PhD student, performance consultant, and former nurse anaesthetist - to explore how researchers can thrive without burning out. We talk about the culture of overwork in academia, impostor syndrome, setting healthy boundaries, and how Anahita balances her PhD, her business, and writing...