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.
An Early Autism Diagnosis Does Not Necessarily Mean a Better Quality of Life
Research Finds the Number of Autistic Traits Is the Strongest Predictor of Better Life Outcomes British researchers recently set out to examine whether learning about an individual’s autism diagnosis earlier in childhood predicts a better quality of life and well-being in adulthood. Unlike previous research, their study did not find evidence for this relationship, suggesting […]
Early Exposure to General Anesthesia Could Be Linked to Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Research Suggests Exposure During Critical Stages of Brain Development May Contribute to Rising Rates of ADHD and Possibly ASD A recent meta-analysis from researchers at the University of Colorado suggests that early exposure to general anesthesia during critical stages of brain development might not be benign as once thought and could have lasting socio-affective consequences. […]
Research Finds Oxytocin to Induce Labor Is Not Linked to Autism Spectrum Disorder
New International Study Suggests Previous Research Finding an Association Was Flawed A joint population-based retrospective cohort study from researchers in Canada and Israel has found that inducing labor through oxytocin administration does not increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. The current study’s design examined nine different exposure groups from the two […]
Mental Health Concerns Are Prevalent in Children with Neurodevelopmental Conditions
Study Finds Over 1/3 of Children with NDCs Had Mental Health Needs, Females Reported Increased Internalizing Symptoms Compared to Males Researchers from Australia recently set out to evaluate mental health concerns in children with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) who were attending their first developmental assessment at a publicly-funded diagnostic assessment service. In total, their study included […]
Investigating the Fever Effect on Children with Autism
New Finding Shows Kids Exposed to Maternal Immune Activation and Later GI Dysfunction May Experience Behavioral Improvements During Fever Episodes Israeli scientists recently set out to investigate the intriguing fever effect phenomenon that some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display. When neurotypical people develop a fever, they typically feel achy, tired, and grumpy. However, […]
Children with Autism Are More Likely to Be Diagnosed with Psychiatric Comorbidities
Anxiety Disorder Developed in Late Childhood Can Lead to Subsequent Psychiatric Conditions A longitudinal follow-up study examining the mental health of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has recently been published in Journal of Affective Disorders. The authors used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to analyze records of 13,382 children and […]
