Scientific and Clinical Advisory Council
SafeMinds Scientific & Clinical Advisory Council is comprised of clinicians, health professionals, and scientists from a variety of disciplines, including, among others, specialists and experts in autism, environment, toxicology, pediatrics, neuroscience, pharmacology, and psychology.
José G. Dórea, Ph.D.
Professor of Nutritional Sciences, University of Brasília
A graduate of the University of Pernambuco with advanced degrees from the University of Massachusetts (MSc and PhD), Dr. Dorea has worked at Iowa State University (USA), University of Hawaii (USA), and University of Campinas (Brazil). He has authored numerous book chapters, and has published on infant nutrition and the environmental impact of toxic (natural and man made) substances on the growth and development of children. Dr. Dorea is on the editorial board of peer-reviewed scientific journals, and has authored and co-authored more than 180 papers in journals of public health, medical and environmental sciences, toxicology, and pharmacology.
Cindy Schneider, MD
Medical Director, Center for Autism Research and Education
Dr. Schneider is the Medical Director of CARE, the Center for Autism Research and Education. Her integrative medical practice is exclusively dedicated to individuals with autism and related neurological and immune disorders. Dr. Schneider’s areas of special interest include treatment of the immune, gastrointestinal, and metabolic aspects of autism and the identification of environmental toxins contributing to the autism epidemic. She has designed and implemented multiple research studies, and collaborated with researchers worldwide. Dr. Schneider’s priorities in both her medical practice and her research include the identification of the causes of autism, the formulation of effective treatment protocols, and the prevention of autism in future generations.
Dr. Schneider has served as a member of the Defeat Autism Now! think tank since 1997, and serves on the Clinician Advisory Committee at the Autism Research Institute. She was the founding president and medical director of two nonprofit organizations for autism research, and is a medical advisor for SafeMinds. Dr. Schneider has published extensively in the areas of genetic vulnerability to environmental toxins, and innovative treatments for the gastrointestinal and immune complications of autism.
As the mother of two children with autism and a leading authority in the field, Dr. Schneider closely tracks developments in autism research, and provides both a medical and personal assessment of current and promising treatment options.
Robert Sears, M.D.
Robert W. Sears, MD, FAAP, is a board-certified pediatrician in a full-time private practice in Dana Point, Calif. He received his medical degree from Georgetown University, and did his pediatric residency training at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “Dr. Bob,” as he likes to be called by his little patients, provides a unique blend of mainstream and integrative medical care. He is a co-author in the Sears Parenting Library, including The Baby Book and The Portable Pediatrician, and is the author of The Vaccine Book, The Autism Book, and HappyBaby: The Organic Guide to Baby’s First 24 Months. Dr. Bob has appeared on Dr. Oz, The Doctors, CNN, CBS Early Show, Fox Morning News, and Dr. Phil discussg parenting advice and pediatric health issues. He is a frequent speaker at parenting conferences, and serves on the medical advisory board for various organizations, including Talk About Curing Autism, Autism Care and Treatment Today, HappyBaby Organic Baby Food, and Kaplan University Department of Health Sciences. Dr. Bob is a contributor to AskDrSears.com, and regularly answers questions on his Mothering.com Ask the Experts forum.
Look for Big Changes in Disability Programs as COVID Winds Down
As the Public Health Emergency Status Ends, So Does Access to Extra Federal Money The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency (PHE) at the end of January in 2020. The PHE designation gave states access to extra federal money for Medicaid so long as they followed certain guidelines. […]
Study Investigating Irritability Related to Gastrointestinal Symptoms Currently Enrolling Teens
New Clinical Trial Will Research Experimental Drug Treatment Axial Therapeutics is recruiting teens with autism and severe irritability to take part in their Tapestry Autism Study. This placebo-controlled clinical trial plans to research an experimental medication, AB-2004, which is designed to absorb specific substances produced by bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract to reduce their ability […]
Perinatal Exposure of Dioxin Associated with Atypical Eye Gaze Behavior
Dioxin Contamination Originated from the Use of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War From 1962 to 1971, the U.S. military implemented Operation Ranch Hand during the Vietnam War. The operation involved spraying a large quantity of Agent Orange, an herbicide which contains 2,3,7,8,-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), the most toxic congener of dioxin. Production of Agent Orange ended […]
Awareness of an Autism Diagnosis at a Younger Age Proves Beneficial
Study Reports that Learning about an ASD Dx Early May Lead to a Heightened Quality of Life For the first time, a research team (made up of autistic and non-autistic students and professors) has investigated if learning about an autism diagnosis at a younger age had a better outcome than finding out about an autism […]
Can Hug Machines Help Children with Autism Use Public Transportation?
Deep Pressure Provides a Calming Effect on People with ASD Last month, SafeMinds Shares included a report on research which demonstrated the calming effects that an inflatable arm hug machine provided children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Interestingly, follow up research has already been published that investigates the use of portable hug machines on public […]
Neuroplacentology: the Study of Connections Between the Placenta and Brain Disorders
New Area of Research Could Be Important for Autism Spectrum Magazine recently published a fascinating interview with Anna Penn, an associate professor of pediatrics at Columbia University who coined the term “neuroplacentology ” a decade ago. Simply put, neuroplacentology is an emerging research area which explores the influences of the placenta on normal and pathological […]
