MotherMind is a transformative leadership development and group coaching program curated to promote the wellbeing, professional fulfillment, and career advancement of scientist mothers.

Evidence-based leadership development curated for scientist mothers by a scientist mother.

Leave behind the “one size fits all” leadership trainings to design a blueprint for leading bravely, authentically, and in a way that is aligned with your whole self. Gain unwavering confidence in effective leadership skills in an expertly facilitated safe peer environment.

Peer connection is at the heart of MotherMind.

You are not alone. Participants form deep, life-long connections with a network of brilliant, inspiring Scientist Mothers who understand the greatest joys and most complex challenges of balancing motherhood and a demanding career in science.

Engage in transformative growth through coaching.

Our three-pronged approach merges individual executive coaching, peer coaching, and group coaching to maximize impact, improve clarity, and create transformative and sustainable change.

MotherMind programming centers around skill development and themes critical to scientist mothers, including but not limited to:

  • Vision for Life and Leadership

  • Aligning Work and Life with Core Values

  • Time Management & Prioritization

  • Mindfulness for Well-Being & Well-Leading

  • Establishing & Maintaining Boundaries

  • Authentic + Strategic Networking & Sponsorship

  • Self-Compassion & Challenging Limiting Beliefs

  • Coaching Skills for Impactful Communication

  • Collaborative Negotiation & Advocacy

  • Personal Leadership Model & Leadership Identity

  • Strategic Planning

MotherMind is offered via two options

MotherMind Residency

Our transformative 6- or 12-month program hosted at your organization.

MotherMind Open Enrollment

6-month all virtual program composed of an intimate cohort of scientist mothers from any organization.

MotherMind Residency

Our transformative 6- or 12-month program hosted at your organization.

MotherMind Open Enrollment

6-month all virtual program composed of an intimate cohort of scientist mothers from any organization.

Our next MotherMind Open Enrollment cohort launches in July 2025!

Mothermind Open Enrollment details

ELIGIBILITY & REGISTRATION

MotherMind is designed for scientists/researchers at the faculty level or industry equivalent who identify as mothers of school-age and/or young children. Most participants spend at least 50% of their professional effort on research. We welcome scientists/researchers from all fields and faculty/industry scientists at any rank. All interested individuals meet with Dr. Treble-Barna prior to registration to ensure that: (1) MotherMind is a good fit for each individual’s goals; and (2) the members of the MotherMind cohort will have sufficiently overlapping goals. After meeting with Dr. Treble-Barna, interested individuals meeting the above eligibility criteria will be invited to register.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

We want to create an inclusive space for all mothers in science. We welcome participation from anyone regardless of gender identity who identifies as a “mother”; however, we want to note that we do explore the relationship between motherhood and womanhood specifically in this program. If you have any questions about whether this program may fit your needs as a mother, please contact us.

We would also like to specifically invite persons from backgrounds often excluded from scientific careers to participate in MotherMind (e.g., persons excluded based on ethnicity and race, individuals with disabilities, individuals who identify as LGBTQIA, first generation college students, and other backgrounds recognized as excluded by the NIH). Scholarships are available to support participation.

Program Investment

Enrollment Fee: $3,750 (early bird $3,500 before April 15th, 2025).

Funding Source: Participants are strongly encouraged to use professional/career development funds or ask for their organizations to sponsor their enrollment. Invoices will read “MasterMind Executive Leadership, LLC Open Enrollment Program”.

Download our “MotherMind: Make the Ask!” template!

Scholarships are available to support participation of persons from backgrounds often excluded from scientific careers, single mothers, and individuals with limited professional development funding.

Time Commitment: Works out to less than 1.5 hours per week over the 6 months of the program—time that you deserve to invest in yourself and will deliver results that far exceed your investment

Testimonials

  • “The process of investing so much time and energy on myself to develop a vision for my life and career was transformative. I personally have found that the time/effort I've spent on MotherMind is far outweighed by the dividends to my personal and professional development. There wasn't a specific session or activity that was better than the rest for me - it was the overall gestalt of coming into these meetings and approaching these (sometimes difficult) topics with intention, vulnerability, and curiosity that was truly invigorating. I’ve become more aware of my self-limiting beliefs and now challenge myself to move beyond them. And I personally really appreciated the one-on-one coaching sessions. During these sessions I was able to take what I learned from previous sessions to focus on maximizing my time to learn, which is a skill I would love to pass on to my mentees.” 

    - Dr. Andreana Benitez, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina

  • “Participating in MotherMind has fundamentally shifted how I view the intersection of motherhood and my career. Before, I often saw my responsibilities as a mother and my work as a scientist as being in constant competition. Through MotherMind, I’ve learned to embrace both roles as integral parts of who I am, rather than feeling like I have to choose or compartmentalize. I’ve also become more intentional about setting boundaries, prioritizing self-compassion, and advocating for systemic change that supports working parents in academia. This experience has empowered me to speak more openly about the realities of being a scientist-mother and to support others who are navigating similar paths.”

    - Dr. Elinette M. Albino, MT, PhD, MSc, Assistant Professor, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus

  • “What resonated most with me during the MotherMind experience was the shared wisdom, through articles, podcasts, and Amery’s presentations. I loved the curated collection of ideas and strategies. And the community is so valuable as well—just getting to share joy and hear that my struggles are common and not just my own. The program helped solidify ideas I’d encountered before, like protecting my time and being a good coach, while also introducing new insights, such as being more strategic with career goals through networking, self-promotion, and creating opportunities. I loved the peer coaching and the opportunity to practice coaching skills. That gave me the chance to really talk through the concepts and figure out how they will work for me.”

    - Dr. Kristina Bridges, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Kansas Medical Center

  • “There were moments of insights during coaching that were probably the most meaningful part of this experience. Insights like, "you identify creativity as one of your most important values, but you don't seem excited about doing creative things," and, "you're allowed to take a day off work to take care of a sick kiddo if that is the kind of mother you want to be." I think why these were most meaningful is they were very personalized to me and what I needed to hear at the time. These moments truly shifted my perspective. I’ve started valuing my time more and being much more intentional about what I take on versus what I delegate. The sessions on identifying and living into core values and on ruthlessly reclaiming your time  left the biggest impressions. I was starting to self-sabotage in "if I just multi-task more I'll be able to do all of the things I need to," and there were some really critical points of reflection in these sessions.”

    - Dr. Jennifer Zellers, PT, DPT, PhD, Assistant Professor, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

  • “What stood out most in my MotherMind experience was the sense of validation, knowing I was not alone in the way I was feeling. I also appreciated having concrete tools and steps to shift my daily habits and move toward my goals. Since the program, I feel more confident and have a clearer sense of my own knowledge, direction, and boundaries. I’m better at saying no and protecting my time. The one-to-one coaching was especially helpful, while the weekly tasks kept me motivated to take meaningful action.”

    - Dr. Brae Anne McArthur, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Calgary

  • “The most impactful parts of the MotherMind experience for me were the community, learning from each other, gaining coaching tools, and embracing curiosity. It has made me realize that we are ALL in this together and that my struggles are very similar to those of my female research colleagues around the country. Every part of the program felt supportive and empowering.

    - Dr. Nancy Stewart, DO, MS, Assistant Professor, University of Kansas Medical Center

  • “Hearing from others who share similar struggles and values was incredibly empowering. It made me feel less alone in balancing academia and motherhood and gave me a toolkit to lean on. The combination of the content and group discussions was the most supportive part, providing both practical tools and a sense of connection.”

    - Dr. Jennifer Shuldiner, PhD, Scientist, Women’s College Hospital Research and Innovation Institute

  • “One of the most powerful parts of the MotherMind experience for me was having dedicated time to reflect on what I truly want in the next steps of my career and how to carve out space for the work that matters most to me. It helped me become much more committed to planning my time with intention. Connecting with a community of others facing similar challenges felt incredibly supportive and empowering.”

    - Dr. Stephanie Samuels, MD, Assistant Professor, Yale School of Medicine

  • “MotherMind has helped me see that I can be more effective, and happy at work, by aligning my personal values with my workplace values. I will be more intentional about this moving forward. The peer coaching was helpful—to get insights from others and reflect on your own experiences in a group setting with others having similar experiences. I also really enjoyed the executive interview exercise. It gave me a lot of perspective about my own career.”

    - Dr. Melissa Eggen, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, University of Louisville

  • “Through MotherMind, I learned to manage my time more effectively, believe in myself, and set realistic goals without overextending. The experience helped me find time for myself without feeling guilty, and to value myself professionally. Through the program, I gave myself permission to take time to be creative again. The coaching sessions were especially empowering, helping me grow and prioritize my professional self while still honoring my other responsibilities.”

    - Dr. Janaina Alves, PhD, Assistant Professor, Universidad Central del Caribe-School of Medicine

Scholars and organizations from around the world have benefitted from our programs

Medical University of South Carolina

North Carolina Central University

Texas State University

The Ohio State University

Universidad Central del Caribe-School of Medicine, Puerto Rico

University of Calgary

University of Hawaiʻi

University of Houston

University of Kansas Medical Center

University of Louisville

University of North Florida

University of Pennsylvania

University of Puerto Rico

University of Southern California

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Virginia Commonwealth University

Washington University in Saint Louis

Womens College Hospital, University of Toronto

Women in Bio

Yale School of Medicine

learn about THE TRANSFORMATIVE OUTCOMES OF MOTHERMIND SCHOLARS ON OUR RESULTS PAGE.

For a deeper dive on the MotherMind Approach, check out this blog post