I (he/his) am an assistant professor at Manhattan College, in NYC, with a research focus in chromatin biochemistry. During my postdoc I developed severe anxiety and self-doubt, to the point that I realized my personality had completely changed, for the worse. Having most likely had these issues all my life, I never felt affected by them until I was fully immersed in the toxicity of academic research. I stayed in academia because the stigma of mental health and the toxic cycle of mentorship needs broken. Research and course work can be successful without needing to shatter a student's mental state. I am an advocate for academic well being, at all levels, and I joined PhD Balance to help, and learn from, others. I am based on the ancestral and unceded territory of Munsee Lenape and Wappinger, also known as (present day) New York City and Westchester County, New York.