Nevicia Case (she/her)

About me

I was born/grew up in: Edmonton, Alberta

I now live in: Edmonton, Alberta

I completed my training/education at: BA Psychology - University of Calgary; MSc Medical Science - University of Calgary; PhD Psychiatry - McGill University; PMP - Project Management Institute

What I do at work

I’m a Postdoctoral researcher in the Faculty of Law, at the University of Alberta. In this role I manage multiple research projects and work as part of a team. Our goal is to find ways to make safe and effective stem cell therapies more accessible to people who need them. To do this, I search the internet and conduct surveys. I also do interviews with patients, doctors, scientists, and regulators. I do this to learn about any problems or concerns they have.

I use my background in psychology to help me interact with them and understand their concerns. I use data analysis skills to find trends and patterns in the concerns they share.  Based on the results of my analysis, I identify different actions that doctors, scientists, and regulators can take to solve problems with how patients access stem cell therapies. I then summarise all this information into a scientific article for publication. I also give presentations to doctors, scientists, regulators, and the public. I use their feedback to inspire more research and the cycle continues!

My career path is

I have many interests. Growing up, I had a lot of technical musical training, mainly in piano and voice. When I first started high school, I wanted to study music in university. My grades in school were high, so I was put into International Baccalaureate classes. Here I discovered that I really enjoyed biology too! I also enjoyed helping people. I was very interested in situations of injustice and was curious about the human brain. Learning more about this was a priority for me.

For my Bachelor's degree in university, I decided to study psychology. I was intrigued by how the biology of the physical brain produces thought and behaviour. My first research projects were on how people think and behave in romantic relationships. During my Master's and PhD, I dove deeper into human thought and behaviour. I did this by studying young people with symptoms of psychosis. This is when the brain has difficulty deciding what is real and what is not real. I also studied older people with cerebral amyloid angiopathy. This is a brain condition where brain cells die and affect brain function. I also studied risky behaviours that happen when young people drink alcohol and drive. I’m still driven by wanting to improve people's health in a just way. That is why I now work in health law. I enjoy music recreationally.

I am motivated by

I'm motivated by the opportunity to improve people's health. I've always enjoyed helping people. At the same time, I also prefer a quieter job where I don't have to interact with people constantly. My career in research is the perfect balance. I get to impact people's lives mostly from the calm quiet of my office. I also enjoy it when I get a chance to share my work publicly by giving presentations!

How I affect peoples’ lives

There are stem cell therapies being tested in science labs. We need to make sure that they are safe and effective treatments for diseases in patients. This process is expensive and can take over a decade! My research aims to make sure that stem cell therapies are safe and effective. My research also helps make sure patients can afford these treatments.

Outside of work I

Over the past few years, I have volunteered with several youth and young professional organisations. These are organisations that aim to create a positive impact on society. These include the Global Shapers Community, Propel Impact, the One Young World scholar program through Johnson & Johnson, and Black Wealth Club. These are all great ways to get involved with your local and global community once you turn 18. You also get to meet other young leaders!

My advice to others

1) The most unique careers are often at the intersections of people's interests. For example, science is not limited to science class. If you also enjoy ethics, explore how they influence each other. 2) You're never too young to have an impact on the world around you. Find out what school clubs or community volunteering you can join. If there aren't any that interest you, create your own!