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.
Are Regulatory Agencies Approving Drugs Too Quickly?
Study Reports Clinical Trials Were Missing for Newly Approved ADHD Medication According to a new study, regulatory agencies approved extended-release methylphenidate, a drug used to treat adult ADHD, without reviewing all relevant clinical trial documents. In fact, the study demonstrated that the omitted trials accounted for a median of 45% of all data from […]
New Biomarker for Autism Discovered in Cerebrospinal Fluid
Biomarker’s Presence Could Establish a Link Between Autism and Epilepsy Scientists from Northwestern Medicine have discovered a new biomarker for autism. Possibly more exciting, these researchers believe that the detection of this novel biomarker provides evidence of a link between autism and epilepsy, which approximately 30% to 50% of children with autism also suffer from. […]
Researchers Call for Federal Agencies and Foundations to Expand Explorations into Environmental Autism Etiology
Team Suggests the Environment Acts in Concert with Genetic Risk Pathways Affecting Neurodevelopment A new commentary and study written by eleven different scientists and clinicians, published in the journal Pediatrics, makes a plea for future autism research to have a greater focus on genetic interactions with environmental exposures. Stating that previous research has linked toxic […]
College Students with ASD at Higher Risk for Physical and Emotional Aggression Victimization
Dating ASD College Students Also at Increased Risk for Partner Abuse Boston University’s School of Public Health has conducted the first study that compares physical, sexual, and emotional aggression victimization among college students with and without autism spectrum disorder. Unfortunately, the research showed college students on the spectrum were at substantially increased risk for both […]
EPA Announces Intention to Support Lead Service Line Removal Regulations
Previous Research Has Linked Lead Exposure and Autism Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that they will begin developing a new regulation to protect citizens from exposure to lead through drinking water. The agency vows to collaborate with local, state and federal agencies to make rapid progress towards the White House’s goal to remove 100% […]
The Complex World of Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
ARFID Can Overlap in Children with Autism Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder that can appear similar to anorexia nervosa, except for one large difference. Kids with ARFID are not concerned with their body image, weight, shape or size. Instead, children with the disorder have an extreme anxiety about the taste, […]
