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.
Preschooler with Autism Develops Scurvy
Disease Once Thought in Rearview Mirror Could be a New Concern An Italian case report recently detailed the account of a 3-year-old girl who refused to walk or stand, displayed an odd red rash, follicular hyperkeratosis, and bleeding gums. She was diagnosed with scurvy, a disease that has been greatly reduced throughout the western world. […]
9 New ASD Research Articles Investigate Environmental Factors During Prenatal and Neonatal Periods
Timing, Synergy, Cumulative Effects, and Genetic Predisposition Play a Role in Damage For years scientific evidence has been gravitating towards an epigenetic etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and moving away from a genetics alone causation theory. A study from 2012, demonstrates this scientific shift. In the paper, the authors describe autism as “a family […]
Sensory Friendly Clothing Line Launched for Kids With Disabilities
JCPenney Unveils New Private Brand of Adaptive Clothing With back-to-school season shopping on the horizon, parents of children with special needs can breathe a sigh of relief. That’s because JCPenney has just launched their new line of adaptive clothing called Thereabouts. According to the department store, their new line aims to celebrate the diversity of […]
Gender Dysphoria More Common in Young Adults with Autism
Mental Health Challenges and Childhood Trauma Correspond with Higher Incidence of Condition Previous cross sectional research has shown that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to experience gender dysphoria. The reasons for this higher incidence have remained unclear, which is why an international team of researchers from Taiwan and Canada investigated the […]
Federal Appeals Court Overturns FDA Ban on Shock Devices for People with Developmental Disabilities
Court Determined FDA Regulating the Practice of Medicine The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled earlier this month, in a close 2-1 opinion, that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) overstepped its authority when it issued a regulation last year banning a device that administers electrical shocks to people with developmental disabilities. […]
Individuals with ASD More Prone to Use Recreational Drugs to Self-Medicate
Adults 9 x More Likely to Use Illegal Substances to Manage Unwanted Autism Symptoms Recognizing the inconsistent findings regarding substance use among adolescents and adults with autism, a research team from the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge implemented an online survey to research the topic. Their anonymous online survey included 1,183 individuals […]
