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  • CAREER Q&A

How I cope with my ‘invisible’ disabilities of anxiety and depression

Cell biologist Keisha Hardeman describes her journey with mental-health challenges, and the power of therapy.
By
  1. Esther Landhuis

    1. Esther Landhuis is a science journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area, California.

When thinking about disabled scientists, physical circumstances tend to jump to mind — someone who uses a wheelchair, wears a prosthesis or is blind. Keisha Hardeman, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, speaks about her hidden disabilities: depression and anxiety. She shares how these mental-health challenges have shaped her journey as a scientist, as well as the importance of seeking counselling and how she has learnt to manage.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00593-1

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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