On episode 40 of A Chat with Uma, I sit down with my dear friend Dr. Maya Schumer—a psychiatric neuroscientist who studies bipolar disorder, the very illness she lives with. She shares her full experience across 3 decades: growing up with a father with bipolar 1 disorder, how her own bipolar 2 diagnosis morphed into bipolar 1, several hospitalizations, her relationship with lithium, chronic suicidality, metabolic psychiatry, IV ketamine, TMS, & redefining "stability." If you've ever struggled with chronic suicidality, felt the weight of stigma in academia, or questioned what makes life worth holding onto—this conversation is for you. Maya’s story is one of survival, honesty, & the power of turning pain into purpose.
Dr. Maya Schumer is a psychiatric neuroscientist & postdoctoral researcher who studies—& has lived experience with—Bipolar Disorder. Maya received her PhD in neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2023, where she used task-based functional neuroimaging & coordinate-based meta-analysis to identify reproducible & replicable neural network markers of bipolar disorder risk. Currently, Maya is a postdoctoral fellow at McLean Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Mentored by Dr. Dost Öngür, Maya examines resting-state functional connectivity patterns & neural network dynamics across different stages & mood states in bipolar disorder, with an overall goal to model its dynamic nature.
Maya’s passion for research is informed by her own lived experience. In her role as a researcher with lived experience, she aims to address & dismantle the stigma surrounding serious mental illnesses (SMIs), make academia & research environments more inclusive & accommodating for those with disabilities; & advocate for meaningful co-production between individuals with lived experience & scientists.
Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps):
(00:00:00) Introduction & welcome to Maya!
(00:14:00) Artist → neuroscientist plot-twist
(00:17:46) Creativity, bipolar, & the Kaye Redfield Jamison spark
(00:20:26) How & why we met on X/Twitter, defying the norms of academia, & building a movement together
(00:26:30) Ableism in research spaces & how we fight back
(00:31:34) Childhood in bipolar’s shadow: therapy at three & “casserole syndrome”
(00:38:42) Stigma lessons, dignity, & mourning a living ghost
(00:43:02) College crash: color-coding moods → diagnosis at 20
(00:46:30) Types I & II, mixed states, spectrum—& living every corner of it
(00:53:00) Compliance ≠ acceptance: owning the illness vs. just taking meds
(01:05:52) Losing sleep, losing friendships, & the 24/7 second job of self-monitoring
(01:17:46) Seasonal mood whiplash & March-mania defenses
(01:22:54) Keto, & lithium 2.0
(01:34:12) Daily IV ketamine infusions, accelerated TMS, & embracing pluralism
(01:44:30) A brutally honest & necessary conversation about chronic suicidality + harm reduction
(01:52:00) Redefining stability, building lived-experience science, & preview to part 2
Connect with Maya
- X/Twitter: @SchumerMaya
- Read her research on ResearchGate
- Email: maya.schumer@gmail.com
Connect with me!
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