I am a professor of family medicine at UCSD School of Medicine and Rady Children’s Hospital. I have a personal interest and experience with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I was the PI for the pilot study called the Autism Sports Project, which demonstrates improvements in social and communication skills on children with ASD.

I am thrilled to help lead a new team to further evaluate the potential health benefits of team sports for children with ASD. I hope our wonderful research team will be able to confirm the amazing results of our pilot study and open up a new avenue of supportive treatment.

I am a faculty physician at Family Health Centers of San Diego’s community based family medicine residency program. I am passionate about exercise, nutrition and behavioral approaches to care and am excited to be part of this Autism Sports Project!

My name is Mayte, I am an undergraduate student at UCSD majoring in Human Biology and Human Development. A future goal of mine is to attend medical school in order to continue research as well as to provide care for the community. A fun fact about me is that I played soccer for more than ten years of my life and has become a huge part of who I am, leading me to become a soccer coach. I joined ASP because it provides the opportunity to combine my passions of sports, medicine, and contributing to my community!

I am a research associate at UCSD studying microglia biology and neurodegenerative diseases. I am passionate about learning new ways to support the well-being of my community. As a lead coach of ASP, helping create an environment where children can make new friends, build social skills, and expand their comfort zones has been incredibly rewarding.

Hi! My name is Rachael and I’m a second year clinical psychology major at UCSD. For 7 years and counting, basketball has been a major part of my life. I learned many life skills from it, including leadership, adapting to challenges, teamwork, and so much more. I wouldn’t be who I am without my basketball community, and I’m eager to share that aspect of me to the kids that’s part of the ASP so they can feel a sense of belonging.

Hi! I’m an undergrad student at UCSD majoring in Human Developmental Sciences. I am passionate about being a part of and supporting the communities around me. As a member of the ASP program, it has been rewarding being able to build connections with players and their families, and seeing their growth over time.

I am a second year undergraduate student at UCSD with a major in Human Biology and minor in Marine Sciences. I love the outdoors and hope to pursue a career in healthcare.

My name is Zach and I’m a third year human biology major here at UCSD. I grew up playing sports, and I trace many of my best childhood memories back to youth sports. I believe every child should have the opportunity to experience the sportsmanship and camaraderie of team sports, no matter their ability level. I got involved in ASP because this project aims to achieve that same goal.

Hey everyone! My name is Akash, I’m a 2nd year pediatric resident at UCSD/Rady Children’s Hospital. As someone who has a special interest in both developmental behavioral pediatrics as well as sports medicine, I am so excited to be involved with the Autism Sports Project! This is an amazing opportunity to help foster healthy social interactions between kids with autism spectrum and neurotypical kids in the community, and has the potential to be so beneficial for all involved.

I am a recent graduate of UC San Diego and current medical student at UNC, with concentrations in Biology and Global Health. As a researcher and former soccer player, I served as Program Coordinator for this research effort, and I was honored to work with such an experienced and multifaceted team. My ultimate future aspiration is to become a physician who practices academic medicine with a focus on creating community-based health equity programs like 'Every Player Plays', that aim to increase health resource access and awareness for underrepresented populations.

I am a family medicine resident at UCSD. I have a strong interest in pursuing sports medicine. I am always looking for ways to get involved with the community. I have previous experience as an ABA therapist and it brought me great joy in seeing the progression of the children that I worked with. I strongly believe that playing team sports is an excellent way for children with ASD to improve social, behavioral, and motor skills. I am excited to be a part of this team and exploring the connections between development of children with ASD and team sports.

I am originally from the Midwest and trained in Texas prior to starting sports medicine fellowship at UCSD. My interests in medicine were sparked by my passion for helping others attain wellness. Outside of medicine, I enjoy volunteering at community events and staying active, whether playing hockey, running, hiking, cycling, paddle-boarding, kayaking, or mountain biking. I joined ASP because I am passionate about the positive impact physical activity and sports can have on youth.

I am currently a second-year medical student at UC San Diego School of Medicine. I am originally from San Diego and attended UCSD as an undergraduate as well. I joined the team because of my passion for sports medicine and interest in learning more about the positive effects of team sports on building healthy and collaborative social relationships.

I am a medical student at UCSD School of Medicine, Class of 2025. I graduated from UCLA in 2019 with a B.S. in Physiological Science and worked for 2 years for a nonprofit organization in LA dedicated to the early detection and prevention of cervical cancer for underserved communities in East Africa. I joined the research team in 2022 due to my interest in Sports Medicine as well as my passion for increasing access and awareness for underrepresented populations, such as those living on the spectrum.

My name is Kezha, I’m a third year human biology major at UCSD! I am on the UCSD Ultimate Frisbee team and I love playing and being active. I also love music and singing. In my free time I like to take advantage of the nature in SD and go to the beach or go on hikes.

I am a senior at Canyon Crest Academy High School and was a participant in the original pilot study in 2016. My experiences growing up with autism and overcoming many of its challenges, partially in thanks to the study, are what really connect me to ASP. I just want to do whatever I can to do support the next generation of children growing up with similar challenges as me and I aspire to eventually attend medical school.

I graduated from UCSD in 2021 with a BS in Human Biology and minor in cognitive science. I am currently working on my Master's in Biology at UCSD. After my program, I would like to continue researching and am also interested in teaching at an elementary or middle school. Ideally, I would like to apply to medical school after this. I enjoy running, swimming, and paddle boarding in my free time.

I recently graduated in June 2022 with my B.S. in Microbiology, and am currently working towards my M.S. in Biological Sciences as part of the dual-degree BS/MS program at UC San Diego. I aim to defend my master's thesis in June 2023, after which I hope to pursue a 1-year postbacclaurate program as part of the NIH Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA), with the intention to matriculate in an MD-PhD program to pursue a career as a physician-scientist.

From the moment I heard about ASP, I knew I wanted to contribute. Having an older brother with autism inspired me to work with neurodivergent children as a respite worker in college, so I am extremely passionate about any and all advocacy efforts to increase community involvement of autistic kids.

Hi there, I’m a 3rd year Bioinformatics undergrad here at UCSD. My goal is to become a pediatrics surgeon with a focus on the spinal cord and brain. PS: I helped make this website! ╰(*°▽°*)╯

I am a professional basketball coach and the founder of Players Play basketball program. We have developed over 100 college basketball players over the last decade. Mentored and coached thousands of players to live healthy, successful lives. I was the head coach for the original pilot basketball cohort in the Autism Sports Project.