Meet Breakout Labs Ambassador, Teryn Johnson

Welcome to Meet Our Ambassadors — a series that highlights each of the talented PhD students doubling as volunteers who represent Breakout Labs at their research universities and local events.

This week’s ambassador is Teryn Johnson, who is pursuing his PhD in Cognitive Science at University of California, San Diego.

Teryn’s fascination with the complexity of the brain inspired him to pursue Cognitive Science. “We approach studying the brain like entering the unknown,” he says, “similar to how early explorers may have approached discovering new people and places. The gaps in our knowledge about the brain are large and cavernous, even though we have known its importance for hundreds of years.”

Inspired by principal investigator Dr. Lara Rangel, whose research interests include rhythmic coordination of brain activity, information processing in neural networks, dynamic interactions between neurons, and more, Teryn hopes to use his PhD to become a leader in developing technologies by taking advantage of ongoing research related to the brain.

He became a Breakout Labs Ambassador to learn about startups and integrate himself in the current startup ecosystem in San Diego.

So far, Teryn says a highlight of his ambassadorship has been meeting folks, not just in the Breakout Labs community, but also in the greater science community in San Diego. “Everyone that I have met has been extremely kind, passionate, and dedicated to what they are pursuing and it’s very inspiring.”

In his spare time, Teryn enjoys photography, board games, movies, drinking good beer and wine, and learning to play the piano.

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If you enjoyed our interview with Teryn, give us a 👏 . If you’re interested in the Breakout Labs Ambassador program, click here.