Jessica Simpson has an academic resume that could have taken this bright young neuroscience researcher anywhere she wanted. But Simpson, who completed a combined biology and psychology honours degree in 2009 and recently received her MSc in biology, chose to stick to her hometown of Victoria when it came time to pursue—and continue—her studies.

After working in Dr. Brian Christie’s lab during her undergraduate honours project, Simpson knew she’d be staying in UVic’s Division of Medical Sciences for her master’s. "I just loved working in the lab, so I stayed on the project and started my master's the following year," she says. Read more about Jessica.