Elevate scholar using big data to understand how the mental health landscape is changing.

An Elevate: Boosting diversity in STEM scholarship is helping an emerging STEM researcher bridge the worlds of psychology and artificial intelligence to uncover how our understanding of mental health is shifting and what that means for how we respond. 

What began with a psychology student contacting senior researchers to ask if she could volunteer in their labs has led to a PhD investigating how AI can reveal new insights into mental health.
 
For Jemima Kang, an Elevate scholarship from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) has provided not only financial support, but the confidence, community and opportunities to pursue research at the intersection of psychology and computer science.
 
“I was always fascinated by the research discussed in my lectures,” said Kang, who is studying at the University of Melbourne.
 
That curiosity prompted her to contact around a dozen researchers during her second year of university, despite having no research experience. One responded, becoming an important mentor and helping set her on a path towards a research career.
 
After completing her Bachelors degree, she spent a year working at a technology start-up before deciding that research was where she wanted to make her mark.
 
With a background in psychology and a strong interest in mental health, she wanted her PhD to contribute to Australia’s response to the growing social and economic burden of mental ill health.
 
She turned to artificial intelligence to investigate millions of real-world perspectives from people navigating mental health challenges.
 
But moving from psychology into a highly technical research environment came with significant challenges.
 
“My PhD involves coding to use AI techniques and coming from a non-technical background, at the beginning it was a massive learning curve,” she said.

The financial support provided through Elevate allowed her to dedicate herself to overcoming that learning curve and make the most of the expertise around her.
 
“Because of the financial support, I was able to focus all my energy into my PhD. I was able to focus on learning from those at the forefront of their fields.”
 
The Elevate community has provided another important source of support. For women and non-binary people entering STEM fields where they remain underrepresented, being surrounded by peers facing similar experiences can help challenge the feeling of not belonging.
 
“Being surrounded by people who are like you, especially in a space where women aren’t as represented, it really makes a difference,” she said.
 
“It shows you that you aren’t out of place and it teaches you that you do belong.”
 
Elevate’s wellbeing support and skills development workshops have also helped her navigate the challenges of PhD study, while being selected for the scholarship itself provided a powerful vote of confidence.
 
“Knowing that I was selected as an Elevate scholar is motivating in itself because I was recognised as someone who has the potential to contribute something important in the STEM field.”
 
That investment is already helping her produce research with implications beyond academia.
 
In a recent study featured in The Conversation, Ms Kang and colleagues analysed more than 14 million social media posts to investigate how public conversations about mental health are changing.
 
The research found that while depression and anxiety were previously central to mental health discussions on the social media platform Reddit, conversations have increasingly shifted towards ADHD and autism.

 
As people increasingly turn to social media to learn about mental health conditions, these conversations can shape how people make sense of their mental health, and potentially how they respond to symptoms and seek help.
 
Tracking these changes could help clinicians, policymakers and the public better understand and respond to emerging shifts in mental health conversations.
 
For Kang, making sure research reaches the people who can benefit from it is an essential part of being a scientist.
 
“Public outreach is really important to me, because that’s how you can make a difference and ensure the findings are reaching the people who it needs to reach.”
 
She credits the people around her, from her early research mentor to her PhD colleagues and the Elevate community, with helping her see what is possible.
 
Her advice to the next generation of women considering STEM is simple: find people who believe in you.

“The people around you really do shape what seems possible and achievable to you.
 
“The scholarship has had such a big impact on me, and it is providing these opportunities and supports to women and non-binary people across Australia, which I believe is truly making a difference in improving the diversity in STEM.”