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.
Modifications to Interoception Sensory Questionnaire Help Individuals with ASD
Reduced Number of Questions Resulted in a Better Experience for Test Subjects The human body has eight different sensory systems: visual, auditory, olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), tactile (touch), vestibular (sense of head movement in space), proprioceptive (sensations from muscles and joints), and interoception. We learn about the first five sensory systems in basic science […]
Heavy Smoking During Pregnancy Linked to Greater Odds of Autism in Offspring
Lighter Smoking Habits Associated with Weaker Odds A recently published study in the American Journal of Epidemiology examined the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children born to mothers who smoked prior to and during their pregnancy. According to the research team responsible for this work, their study was the first in the United […]
Trends in Medication Use to Manage Symptoms of Autism Comorbidities
Taking Several Drugs at Once Common for People on the Spectrum A new retrospective, population-based cohort study has analyzed prescription frequency and diagnoses of comorbidities among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Published in JAMA Pediatrics, this study mined data through a nationwide managed health plan claims database from January 1, 2014 until December 31, […]
Acetaminophen Use in Pregnancy May Increase the Risk of Autism and ADHD
Children Prenatally Exposed to Drug 19% More Likely to Develop ASD A recent meta-analysis involving over 73,000 mother-child pairs from six European population centers has discovered that children exposed to acetaminophen in the womb were 19% more likely to end up with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 21% more likely to exhibit […]
New Congressional Effort Urges Increased Spending on Autism
Federal Funding for Autism Lags Far Behind Spending for Alzheimer’s and AIDS In a rare bipartisan request, members of congress are calling for the federal government to raise its investment in autism-related research and services by spending an additional $150 million on the disorder. In a recent letter to the leaders of the U.S. House […]
Exercise Provides Beneficial Neurocognitive Effects for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Movement and Exertion Could Become a Treatment for Kids with Executive Dysfunction A new scientific research review article focusing on the effectiveness of exercise for children with neurodevelopmental disorders has recently been published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Review. In this review, an international team of scientists highlight the potential benefits of exercise to support the […]
