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.