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.
Mood Disorders Are Significantly More Common in ASD
And Challenging to Diagnose Due to Atypical Presentation A recent British review article published in the International Review of Psychiatry presented a thorough investigation into the occurrence of higher rates of mood disorders in individuals with autism than in the general population. The most common mood disorders include major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and seasonal […]
How Gut Microbes and Brain Disorders Could Be Linked
Findings May Lead to Microbiome Drugs for Neurodegenerative and Neuropsychiatric Disorders Fifteen years ago, neuroscientist Jane Foster discovered that bacteria in the gut may have influence over brain function and behavior. She came to this conclusion by conducting studies using two groups of mice. One group had healthy gut microbes and the other group lacked […]
Further Details Show Psilocybin to be a Budding New Autism Treatment
The Psychedelic Substance Supports Microbiome and Normalizes Serotonin Levels Last month, SafeMinds Shares reported on the stir psilocybin was creating in the financial world. Market analysts and investors were viewing the psychedelic as a potential revolutionary autism treatment. The autism treatment market is currently valued at $3.2 billion and is desperately lacking in drug therapies. […]
Cognitive Training Using Virtual Reality Effective for Kids on the Spectrum
The New Technology Provides a Safe Controllable Environment for Therapies A recent study published in Current Research in Behavioral Sciences theorizes that cognitive training through the use of virtual reality (VR) technology may now be a feasible autism treatment. Researchers have been interested in using VR to help children with autism connect with the world […]
Chronic Viral Encephalopathy Mistaken for Schizophrenia
16-Year-Old Boy Lost Psychiatric Symptoms After Antiviral Treatment A recent case report published in the British Medical Journal features the account of a teenage boy who had been experiencing symptoms of paranoid ideation, anxiety, fear and hallucinations for a period of three months. A psychiatric hospital diagnosed the teen with schizophrenia and prescribed the antipsychotic […]
Decreased Phenol Sulfotransferase Linked to Common Autism Biomarker
Hyperserotonemia Has Been Associated with ASD for Decades for Unknown Reasons Until Now Hyperserotonemia is the state of increased whole blood serotonin within the body. The condition is the most replicated biochemical abnormality associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The etiology of this biomarker was poorly understood until now. A new French study published in […]
