ONLINE MEETING

Brilliant but Burned-Out

Mental Health, Precarity, and the Future of Research

22 MAY (Thursday)

at 14:00 CEST

Across Europe, early-career researchers face rising rates of stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression.Why? Because the academic system puts them under constant pressure while offering little stability in return.

Short-term contracts. Uncertain funding. High mobility. Limited career prospects.
It’s no surprise that more and more researchers feel exhausted, stuck, and ready to give up.


Brilliant but Burned-Out is a space to face this reality — and to do something about it.
We’ll dive into the real struggles researchers face, from job insecurity to work-life imbalance, and open the floor for a forward-looking conversation on how we can build a healthier, more sustainable future for academic work.

Why join?

  • Understand the hidden mental health risks in academia

  • Reflect on the systemic causes behind burnout and precarity

  • Join a live conversation about what needs to change – and how we can change it together

Meet your host:

I’m Dr. Ewa Pluciennicka, PhD in cognitive psychology and licensed psychologist.

I’ve spent years working in academia, mentoring researchers, and listening to their stories. And the truth is – I’ve lived many of these struggles myself.
The pressure, the uncertainty, the constant feeling of not knowing what comes next… I’ve been there too.

Through my work, I’ve had the chance to speak with thousands of PhD students and researchers across Europe – and what I hear again and again are stories of mental suffering, burnout, and the heavy cost of precarity.

That’s why I’m bringing this conversation to European Mental Health Week.
Because behind every research project, every paper, and every academic success, there are real people.
And we can’t afford to keep ignoring the human side of research.

I believe it’s time we talk about it – openly, honestly, and together.

PhD Success is a French-based social benefit company founded in 2020.
Our aim is to bring mental health awareness to academic institutions to improve early career researchers' well-being and productivity and enhance general work-life satisfaction. Over the last year, we helped over 5000 PhD students through online webinars, training, online PhD support in communities, and individual consultations.

What PhD Students say about our events