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.
Fecal Transplantation and Bifidobacterium Supplementation Show Promise in Reducing Austistic Behaviors
Rodent Study Demonstrates the Potential of Gut Microbiota-Targeted Therapeutics By recognizing that an association between gut dysbiosis and autistic behavior has been established in rodents and human subjects, a team of researchers recently embarked on a study to investigate if fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) or probiotic administration, such as Bifidobacteria, could provide therapeutic benefits for […]
An Autism or ADHD Diagnosis Comes with a Higher Risk of Mortality
All Cause Mortality Was More Than Double in Those with ASD or ADHD New research has discovered that those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a higher risk of mortality. This new systematic review and meta-analysis included 27 observational studies with a total of 642,260 individuals. Studies included in the […]
Signs of Autism Can Be Identified Earlier Than Previously Expected
Timely Diagnosis Leads to Earlier Treatment Leading to Better Developmental Outcomes According to two recent studies, signs of autism can be identified earlier than researchers previously thought. These new pieces of research even indicate that children under one year of age may display signs of the disorder. Both of these new studies were led by […]
Changes in the Amygdala Linked to Anxiety in Individuals with Autism
The MIND Institute Now Recognizes a Distinct Autism-Related Type of Anxiety The amygdala is a small, almond-shaped structure found deep within the temporal lobe of the brain. It plays a role in processing emotion and fear and has been associated to both autism and anxiety. Now, a long-term study involving hundreds of brain scans has […]
Could Childhood Infections be Associated with Autism?
New Research Suggests Infections Can Contribute to Autism and Intellectual Disability A team of Swedish researchers set out to explore the associations between early childhood infections and later diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID), in an attempt to understand whether any observed associations varied by their co-occurrence, age at infection, or […]
Anorexia Before or During Pregnancy Could Be Tied to ASD in Offspring
Women Experiencing Anorexia During Pregnancy Are 4 Times More Likely to Have a Child with Autism New research from Sweden has shown that women with anorexia nervosa before or during pregnancy have a greater chance of having a child with autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Previously, eating disorders in individuals on the spectrum have […]
