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.
Prenatal Maternal Autoimmune Disease Linked to a 16% Increased Risk of Mental Disorders in Offspring
Common Maternal Autoimmune Diseases Include Type 1 Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, and Psoriasis A group of international researchers recently set out to answer the question, “Is prenatal maternal autoimmune disease associated with an increased long-term risk of mental disorders in offspring?” The study’s authors began their research by acknowledging that maternal immune activation […]
The Catastrophic Combination of Autism, Poverty, and Race on Health Outcomes
New Report Finds Over Half of Children with ASD Live in Low-Income Households The Autism Intervention Network on Physical Health (AIR-P), a subdivision within UCLA Health’s Department of Medicine, has released a report examining the intersection of autism, poverty, and race/ethnicity. The report specifically looked at how this combination impacts health and health care of […]
A Down Syndrome Advantage in Special Needs Parenting?
Study Finds that Marriages Dealing with Down Syndrome Have Less Stress than Marriages Managing Autism Parenting a child with any type of developmental disability is generally recognized as a situation which causes varying levels of stress on mothers and fathers. Recently, new research has investigated how this additional stress affects special needs parents’ marriages. In […]
Increased Cancer Risk Before Age 30 Identified in Some Individuals with Autism
Risk Linked to Those Who Have Co-Occurring Intellectual Disability and/or Birth Defects A study out of Sweden has discovered that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have comorbid intellectual disability (ID) and/or birth defects were at a higher risk of developing cancer in early life (before age 30) compared to those without ASD. This […]
Altered Gut Microbiota in Children with Autism
New Study Provides Further Evidence that Gut Microbial Dysbiosis is Linked to ASD New research from China demonstrates that children with autism carry altered gut bacteria compared to children without the disorder. The authors of this new study started their research by recognizing many previous works have already tied altered gut microbiota to autism spectrum […]
Prenatal External Environmental Exposure Linked to Increased Risk of ASD in Offspring
Study Finds That Valproic Acid Exposed Children Had a Higher Risk of Disorder than Non-Exposed Children Valproic acid (VPA) is a clinical drug used to treat epilepsy and mood disorders. Pregnancy exposure to the medication has been previously associated with a significant increase of autism risk in offspring. This previous research also showed that children […]
