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Angela and her siblings on a Ski Trip at Mount Hood, Oregon “I grew up very religious,” neuroscientist Angela Gonzalez says. “I was told that science wasn’t real.” But even as a child, they felt drawn toward it. When Gonzalez reflects on how she became a scientist, she doesn’t start with a lab or a research paper. She starts with rebellion. That curiosity pushed her toward a path that didn’t always align with expectations. At just 16, she enrolled in college through Washingto

Kiera presenting a poster on her PhD project at the Research Society on Alcohol Scientific, Meeting in New Orleans in June 2025. Image provided by Kiera Fleck. When you ask fourth-year neuroscience Ph.D. student Kiera Fleck what drew her to study the brain, she doesn’t start with lab work or equations. She starts at home. “I actually got into neuroscience because I have a brother with special needs,” she says. “My whole life I volunteered with different organizations working