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.
New Research Shows No Link Between Autism and In Utero Tobacco Smoke Exposure
New Study Contradicts Last Month’s Study Showing an Association Citing that research on in utero exposure to maternal environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or active maternal smoking and the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been inconsistent, researchers from the California Department of Public Health set out to examine in utero cotinine concentrations as a […]
CDC Reports Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Fatal Drownings for Young People
Drowning Remains a Leading Cause of Death for Children with Autism The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report this month detailing drowning statistics for people under the age of 29 years during the years 1999 – 2019. Some facts remained similar to previous reports. Drowning remains preventable and yet is still […]
Toxic Chemicals Banned Decades Ago Found in Fetal Organs
ADHD, Diabetes, Infertility, Obesity, and Reduced Sperm Production Linked to Early Exposure to Toxins Industrial chemicals, banned decades ago, have been recently found in the organs of fetuses according to a new study published in the journal Chemosphere. Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden studied concentrations of 22 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that accumulate […]
The Pineal Gland’s Relationship to Sleep Disturbances in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Melatonin Production Takes Place Predominantly in Pineal Gland SafeMinds Shares has covered many studies which explored varying topics related to autism and sleep disturbances. In the past, we have looked at sensory sensitivities, lack of adequate sleep disturbance screenings, insomnia treatment barriers, and poor sleep and its connection to autism severity. Now, for the first […]
Lower Levels of Urine Nitric Oxide Metabolites Found in ASD Parents
Problematic Physical Manifestation Shows that Parents Need More Support A recent study from China has associated lower urine nitric oxide (NO) metabolites levels in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to healthy adults of the same age. This finding suggests that parents dealing with autism, especially mothers, may have experienced more mental […]
Study Shows Higher Autism Rates for Black Children Living in England
Pupils Facing Social Disadvantage Also More Likely on Spectrum The standardized prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for children, adolescents, and young adults (ages 5 – 19) in England is 1.76%. Yet, that prevalence rate jumps to 2.11% for Black pupils, according to an original investigation report published in JAMA Pediatrics. For this ASD prevalence […]
