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.
Gut Dysbiosis Found in One Triplet with ASD
Other Two Neurotypical Triplet Siblings Had a Healthy Gut Microbiome The link between gastrointestinal symptoms and autism has long been established. Numerous prior published studies have shown significant differences between the gut functioning of children with autism to non-autistic controls. Recently, a new report from scientists at the Wake Forest School of Medicine had an […]
Mayo Clinic Links Antibiotic Use in Infancy to Autism
Association Affected by Frequency, Type and Timing New research published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that infants and toddlers who were given antibiotics were more likely to develop serious health conditions later in childhood. The Mayo Clinic research team investigated over 14,000 children born in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Seventy percent of these children received at […]
Behaviors of Adults with ASD are Strongest Predictor of Caregiver Burden
New Research is First to Study Functioning Levels Related to Caregiver Fatigue Researchers from Eastern Michigan University surveyed 320 parents of adults with autism to investigate their daily caregiving duties as it relates to caregiver stress. Parents included in this research were over the age of 50, about the time many caregivers realize the weight […]
Autism Sociodemographic Groups Recently Reversed
Incidence Rates Now Higher within African American and Asian Communities When autism diagnoses began to increase during the 1990s, the prevalence rates were historically highest among Caucasians and those of higher socioeconomic status (SES). This trend continued for years. However, a new research article published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences of […]
Barriers and Facilitators to Treating Insomnia in Children with Autism, Other DDs
Parents and Professionals Report Significant Challenges Insomnia is highly prevalent in children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), yet little research exists on sleep treatment access, utilization, and provision in these groups. Canadian researchers conducted focus groups and interviews with parents and professionals regarding knowledge and interventions for sleep disorders among children with an […]
Study Finds Bumetanide Ineffective at Controlling Most ASD Behaviors
However, Drug Exhibits Positive Results for Managing Repetitive Behaviors Bumetanide is a potent diuretic typically used to treat edema. Recent research shows that the drug has been associated with positive behavioral outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, a new study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent […]
