Teryn Heckers joined the MIND Institute in 2019 as a Recruitment Coordinator for the MIND Autism Center of Excellence, overseeing recruitment for the BRAIN and STAAR studies. They received their BA in Organizational Studies from the University of Tulsa and previously worked as a Community Liaison in the UC Davis Health Department of Family and Community Medicine and an Administrative Assistant in the UC Davis Health Department of Clinical Social Services. In their current role, they aid with recruitment on the APP, GAIN, BRAIN, and STAAR studies. They are particularly interested in increasing research representation of families from historically marginalized communities by developing community partnerships and reducing barriers to research participation. In addition to their work on the research studies, Teryn serves on the MIND Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ally Subcommittee. In the future, Teryn plans to pursue a career in social work.
Alexa Hechtman, EdS
Study Clinician
Alexa Hechtman, EdS is a School Psychologist and Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor. She received her BS in Psychology at UC Davis and received her MA in Education and EdS in School Psychology at California State University Sacramento. As an undergraduate, she joined the GAIN study at the MIND Institute as a volunteer research assistant in 2013. She continued on as a study coordinator for GAIN starting in 2015 has been a program coordinator for APP, GAIN, and related studies since 2020. In her current role, she administers standardized language, academic, and cognitive assessments with study participants and clinical diagnostic interviews with their parents. She is interested in strengths-based assessment, clinical evaluation of anxiety in children with autism and intellectual disability, and behavioral and mental health supports for students with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Shayan Alavynejad
Jr. Specialist (Study Coordinator)
Shayan Alavynejad graduated from UC Davis in 2021 with a BS in Biological Sciences. As an undergraduate, he volunteered with the APP and GAIN studies as a research assistant aiding with MRI scans and data entry and with Dr. Bibiana Restrepo on analysis of gastrointestinal symptoms in autistic children. He is currently a study coordinator on the BRAIN and GAIN studies and a pilot study on gastrointestinal assessment methods through the MIND Autism Center of Excellence. In the future, Shayan plans to become pediatric gastroenterologist, with a focus on providing quality medical care for autistic children.
Kali Kecskemeti
Asst. Clinical Research Coordinator
Kali Kecskemeti graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2020 with a BA in Intensive Psychology and a Minor in Education. As an undergraduate, Kali worked in the Early Social Interaction Lab (ESIL) with Professor Audun Dahl, where she studied helping behaviors in infants and investigated how students from various backgrounds understand different cultures and religions. She was also a research assistant in the Athena Lab with Professor Steve Whittaker, where she assisted in developing and testing a conversational chatbot. Kali has worked with children of various ages in school and research settings. She is currently a study coordinator for the middle childhood and adolescent time points of the APP and GAIN studies. In the future, Kali is interested in pursuing a career in educational psychology.
Kiran Sharma
Jr. Specialist (Study Coordinator)
Kiran Sharma received her Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology from UC Santa Cruz. She has worked at length in Behavioral Health as a Registered Behavioral Technician, specializing in children on the Autism Spectrum as well as other Neurodevelopmental disorders. She is currently working at the MIND Institute as a research coordinator for the GAIN and APP studies managing study recruitment, data analysis, and supporting participant visits. Kiran is interested in Adolescent Psychiatry and Development.
Mason Brown
Student Assistant
Mason Brown is a student assistant working with David Amaral and Christine Wu Nordahl on the Autism Phenome Project team. He joined the lab as a volunteer when he was a sophomore at Vista del Lago High School in 2017. After graduating in 2020, he began attending UC Davis where he is currently a junior majoring in English. Mason assists with many different tasks, including acquiring night time MRI scans, preparing MRI scans for analyses and managing undergraduate research assistants in the lab. We feel fortunate to have his perspective as an autistic young adult on our team.
Tori Liggans
Jr. Specialist (Study Coordinator)
Tori Liggans earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Biology from Howard University. She has recently worked with school-aged children on the Autism Spectrum as a Registered Behavior Technician. Tori is currently working as a study coordinator for the adolescence phase of the APP study. In the future, Tori plans to continue her education by obtaining her doctorate in clinical psychology, specializing in children and adolescent care.
Quimby Lee
Graduate Student
Quimby is a PhD student in the Neuroscience Graduate Group at UC Davis. She is co-mentored by Dr. Audrey Fan, in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Neurology, and Dr. Christine Wu Nordahl at the MIND Institute. She received her bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology at UC San Diego, where she conducted research using eye-tracking as a prognostic tool for autism. After graduating, she worked on the ABCD study at SRI International and studied sleep in adolescence. Her current research evaluates non-invasive measures of cerebrovascular function using resting-state functional MRI in pediatric and autistic populations.