Scientists are increasingly lobbying for non-animal models for biomedical research, given that subtle genetic differences between humans and animals can lead to pronounced differences in disease severity. Advanced technologies such as organs-on-chips are showing potential to make biomedical research more human-relevant. Surat reports on a recent virtual event that initiated a dialogue on the possibilities and challenges of implementing human-relevant models and frameworks in India.

Many successful academics continue to be plagued by feelings of “not belonging” or “not being good enough”. Some even hold an implicit belief that they have defrauded everyone around them into believing in their capability. In this next article in our mental health series, Divya delves into the “impostor syndrome” and some possible solutions for this pervasive mental health challenge.

Many Indian researchers working abroad hope and plan to return to India to set up their independent labs in the future. However, they often find themselves stymied by a lack of information, both about the transition process and about the scientific ecosystem back home. This article, based on a panel discussion on the topic of “Return to India”, collates some useful advice for early-career scientists planning to make the move to India.

Felix Bast is an Associate Professor of Molecular Phylogenetics at the Central University of Punjab. In this article, he describes the MentX initiative, which is a pan-India open platform for matchmaking between mentors and mentees for the exchange of ideas. The spring 2021 call for MentX is currently open with the deadline of 30 April 2021.

While considering the issue of mental health in academia, it is important to remember that existing societal structures have a significant impact on the lives of researchers and these effects vary from community to community. In this next article in our series on mental health, Nazia discusses how trying to balance the expectations of a patriarchal society with their scientific aspirations affects the mental health of women in science and some possible solutions to this problem.