
E36 - (S3E16) Starting a family in academia: a conversation on fears, ambitions and the myth of perfect timing (with Dr Asya Martirosyan)
From Moms, Mats and Manuscripts by Ksenia Volkova Tomaz
December 3, 2025 · 1h 32m · Season 3 · Episode 36
About this episode
Dr Asya Martirosyan joins Ksenia Volkova Tomaz for a conversation about the challenges of starting a family in academia.
In this honest and beautifully chaotic episode, Dr Asya Martirosyan joins me once again for a vulnerable conversation about starting a family in academia: the fears, ambitions, cultural expectations, and the persistent myth of “perfect timing.” We dive into the pressures placed on women in STEM to excel at everything: building a career, being a present mother, running a household, staying balanced and ambitious… often without any real support or open discussion. We talk about: • fears a...
People in this episode
Host: Ksenia Volkova Tomaz
Guest: Dr Asya Martirosyan
Topics covered
- family in academia
- women in STEM
- cultural expectations
- perfect timing
- work-life balance
- ambitions
Keywords
- family
- academia
- STEM
- women
- career
- motherhood
- cultural expectations
- work-life balance
More episodes of Moms, Mats and Manuscripts
- E46 - Due dates & deadlines: pregnancy in the last year of a PhD and figuring out who you are after (with Dr Katerina Danezi) · May 12, 2026 · 1h 22m
- E45 - Not lost - becoming: matrescence, postpartum recovery, and radical rest (with Munirah Razak) · April 28, 2026 · 1h 24m
- E44 - From PhD to parenthood: on identity, becoming unapologetic and letting go of control (With Dr Lauren A. Mason) · April 14, 2026 · 1h 4m
- E43 - From vague goals to real life: A seasonal reset (and what I'm learning along the way) · March 31, 2026 · 29 min
- E42 - Freelance career after leaving academia: freedom, insecurity and finding balance · March 17, 2026 · 1h 13m
- E41 - Academia wasn't worth my life: Leaving academia, not-so-alternative careers and redefining success · March 5, 2026 · 45 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Moms, Mats and Manuscripts podcast page.