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.
Advances in Medicine/Prevention for Other Diseases May Be Helpful for Autism
Same Biological Pathways Affected, Comorbidities Could Mean Autism Applicability Three recent developments in treatments and early identification for other brain disorders might have applicability to autism. This is because the biological pathways targeted are found in these other conditions as well as in autism. The scientists or companies working on these interventions are not including […]
EPA Announces Research Grant for Early Life Exposures
Research Centers Needed to Explore Effects of Environmental Risks The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to grant almost $2 million in funds to a research team interested in investigating early life exposures of different types of environmental stressors. The grant’s purpose is to examine possible adverse health outcomes due to contact with chemical and non-chemical […]
Longer Hours Spent in Intervention Not Always Better for Toddlers with Autism
Study Shows 15-Hours vs. 25-Hours Programs per Week Had Similar Impact Until now, clinicians had no data to rely upon to guide parents of newly diagnosed toddlers with autism on the number of hours required to make behavioral improvements. That has just changed due to UC Davis Health’s newly published study in the Journal of […]
Autism Research Funded by Major Suicide Prevention Organization
Suicidality in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Interaction Between Biological Vulnerabilities and Cognitive Dysfunction AFSP is also funding a research study on the underlying biology of stress and cognition in autism and how that may contribute to suicidality in this high risk group. The grant was awarded to Carly McMorris, Ph.D. of the University of […]
Epidurals Used During Labor Linked to Higher Autism Risk
Obstetric and Anesthesiology Organizations Don’t Agree with Study’s Finding A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics has found that the rate of autism was higher in children whose mothers received epidurals during labor. Although, the study’s authors considered the risk only slightly higher. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were diagnosed in 1.9% of the children delivered […]
Too Little or Too Much Folic Acid in Pregnancy Can Cause Harm to Developing Brains
Researchers Look for a Goldilock’s Quantity to Establish Correct Dosage A new study from the MIND Institute at UC Davis found that high amounts of folic acid given to pregnant mice caused brain damage in their offspring. These findings were published last month in the journal Cerebral Cortex. Folic Acid has been shown to be […]
