Breaking Barriers in Science: Systemic Challenges around Equity, Health, and Resilience in a Global Community

Thursday, 2 July 2026
17:00 - 18:30 CEST

Details

Inselhalle

Conference Room L2

Access for Nobel Laureates and pre-registered Young Scientists only

Please see your personalized schedule for details.


Moderators:

Silvia Favero
ICN2, Spain

Méline Parent
Lund University, Sweden

Clara von Randow
TU Dresden, Germany

Fiona Wasson
University of Cincinnati, United States of America

All above are Lindau Alumni 2025 and team leaders of the Breaking Barriers in Science initiative.

Adam Smith
Nobel Prize Outreach, Sweden

Abstract

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings provide a unique space for stimulating discussions from Young Scientists from a highly diverse background. The 74th Meeting revealed a profound demand for a platform to explore topics including supervisor training, scientific mobility and hidden career curricula. An impromptu workshop led to the ongoing Breaking Barriers in Science initiative centred around systemic challenges in academia related to equity, as well as physical and mental health of scientists in a global community.

Currently, a survey targeting early career researchers in STEM is being developed in collaboration with a psychologist specialized in resilience and mental health. The initiative aims to foster a sustainable dialogue across generations and disciplines through a designated space for these crucial conversations at the forthcoming Lindau meetings.

Moderated by 2025 Alumni to ensure continuity, the workshop will integrate perspectives gathered from incoming Young Scientists and serve as a catalyst to continue the momentum of the initiative. The aim is to collaboratively explore systemic challenges affecting scientists’ wellbeing and career trajectories, as well as address obstacles hindering equitable experiences among academics globally. The goal is to develop actionable tasks which can be followed through on now. Participants will work towards a method to monitor the concerns expressed at the Lindau Meetings over time, allowing us to identify trends of the topics of concern from a diverse background.

Breaking Barriers in Science Focus Groups