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.
Eye Contact is Not Necessary for Joint Attention According to New Research
Finding Raises Question If Children with ASD Actually Have Joint Attention Deficits The ability to achieve joint attention is fundamental to a child’s development. It is a critical step that encompasses learning about environments, supporting language development, and object word learning. Joint attention has long been assumed to be impaired in children with autism, but […]
Approximately 1 in 30 Children and Adolescents in the United States Have Autism
New Study Reports that ASD Rates Jumped More Than 50% from 2017 to 2020 A recent research letter published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that the overall autism spectrum disorder (ASD) rate for American children ages 3 to 17 in 2019 and 2020 has risen to 3.14%. When separating data by year, the results show the […]
2 New Studies Link Mother’s Blood to a Specific Type of ASD
Research from the MIND Institute Focuses on Maternal Autoantibody-Related Autism One of the immune system’s most critical functions is to distinguish between organisms that are self and non-self. If this determination process malfunctions, the body may form proteins called autoantibodies. In simple terms, autoantibodies are antibodies that attack the body’s own tissues, cells, or cell […]
Can Exposure to Cooking Oil Fumes in Pregnancy Be Linked to Autism-Like Behaviors in Preschool Children?
New Research from China Suggests It Can A team of Chinese researchers found that maternal cooking oil fumes (COF) exposure during pregnancy was associated with the presence of autism-like behaviors in their offspring by the time they reach preschool. The authors also discovered that the association depended on a dose-response relationship between the frequency of […]
Dental Sealants and Flouride Varnish Prevent Tooth Decay for Children with ASD
Long Term Study Shows Preventative Measures Work Better in Combination Children with autism often have poor oral health and are at greater risk for gingivitis, tooth decay, and cavities. To make matters worse, kids on the spectrum are frequently distressed at dental appointments since it often includes experiencing several noises, smells, vibrations, and visual stimuli […]
It’s Not Just the U.S., Global Autism Rates Continue to Climb
New Study Shows 1 in 100 Children Are Diagnosed with ASD Around the World Recent research shows approximately 100 in 10,000 – or 1 in 100 – children across the globe hold an autism diagnosis. This figure comes from a new systematic review of 99 prevalence estimates from 34 countries. A decade ago, the global […]
