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New York, Feb. 26, 2020 — The Autism Science Foundation (ASF), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting and funding innovative autism research, today announced that Alison Singer, Co-Founder and President of ASF, will receive an honorary degree from Emory University. The degree will be conferred at Emory’s 175th Commencement, scheduled for Monday, May 11.

The mother of an adult daughter with autism, Singer founded ASF in 2009. She has served on the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) since 2007 and also serves on the executive boards of the Marcus Autism Center at Emory, the Yale Child Study Center, the executive board of the Seaver Autism Center at the Icahn School of Medicine and the executive board of the Autism Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also serves on the external advisory board of the CDC’s Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities and on the board of directors of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR). In 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics named her an “autism champion.” In 2017 she received the INSAR “Outstanding Research Advocate” award and in 2018 she received the New York Families for Autistic Children Research Advocacy Award.

Prior to founding ASF, Singer served as executive vice president of Autism Speaks and as a vice president at NBC. She graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a B.A. in Economics and has an MBA from Harvard Business School. In 2018 she was elected to serve on the Board of Education of the Scarsdale Union Free Public School district.

Singer will be one of three honorary degree recipients at the ceremony. Acclaimed human rights lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson and Nobel Prize-winning virologist Francoise Barre-Sinoussi will also be honored for their contributions to their respective fields.

“I am incredibly honored to be selected for an honorary degree from Emory, an institution that does so much to support the autism community,” said Singer. “The Marcus Autism Center is a model of the values ASF seeks to promote, conducting cutting-edge research that will transform the lives of people with autism as well as offering evidence-based treatments and vital support to individuals and families affected by autism. To be recognized alongside the other outstanding honorees is humbling and gratifying and speaks to the importance of our mission.”

About the Autism Science Foundation

The Autism Science Foundation (ASF) is a 501(c) (3) public charity. Its mission is to support autism research by providing funding to scientists and organizations conducting autism research. ASF also provides information about autism to the general public and serves to increase awareness of autism spectrum disorders and the needs of individuals and families affected by autism. To learn more about the Autism Science Foundation or to make a donation visit www.autismsciencefoundation.org.

Sam Belden
Forefront Communications for Autism Science Foundation
212-320-8986
sbelden@forefrontcomms.com

NEW YORK, NY (February 18, 2020) – The Autism Science Foundation (ASF), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting and funding innovative autism research, today announced that Scott Badesch will receive this year’s Caryn Schwartzman Spirit Award. Scott served as president of the Autism Society of America for 10 years before retiring in January, 2020. He is the father of an adult son with autism. The award, which recognizes excellence in autism research advocacy, will be presented at the seventh annual “Day of Learning” event, ASF’s science conference for the autism community, on Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at the New York Athletic Club in New York City.

The Caryn Schwartzman Spirit Award is presented annually to family advocates whose energy, tenacity, and commitment to enhancing the lives of individuals with autism best emulate Caryn’s. Caryn was a loving and dedicated mom, and a tireless advocate who worked with the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR), Autism Speaks, and the Autism Science Foundation to raise money, advance autism research, and improve the lives of children around the country.

“As ASA president, Scott paved the way for young adults like my brother Robby to participate more fully in community activities” said Allyson Schwartzman, 26, daughter of Caryn Schwartzman. “I once heard him say “inclusion is not a place; it’s a mindset”; my mom would have loved that”.

“It’s truly an honor to present this award to Scott for his many years of hard work and his unwavering commitment to autism research, treatment, and services,” said Alison Singer, president and co-founder of the Autism Science Foundation. “We are thrilled that he has joined the ASF board, where he continues doing incredible work on behalf of all our families.”

Scott led his local Autism Society affiliate before joining the national office in 2010 as Senior Vice President of Development and Operations. He has more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit organizations, particularly in fundraising, chapter outreach, advocacy and public policy, and transformation of organizations. Before joining the Autism Society national office, Scott served as President and CEO of the Autism Society of North Carolina. Other experience includes 14 years as President and CEO of the United Way of Palm Beach County, and six years as President and CEO of the United Way of South Carolina.

The Caryn Schwartzman Spirit Award will be presented at the Autism Science Foundation’s “Day of Learning” event on Wednesday, March 27, which will feature TED-style talks by the nation’s top autism scientists. Participants will discuss the latest developments in autism research, treatment and services to an audience including parents, students, individuals with autism, and other autism community stakeholders. Specific topics include robotic therapy partners, CBD and other medication trials, and new interventions specifically for adolescents.

Tickets for the “Day of Learning,” which includes breakfast, lunch, and a dessert buffet, are available online http://bit.ly/DOL-NY2020.

Proceeds from the conference will benefit the foundation’s pre- and post- doctoral autism fellowship programs, which support early-career research conducted by the nation’s most promising young autism scientists.

About the Autism Science Foundation

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In a new study published in the journal Cell from members of the Autism Sequencing Consortium examines the genetics of over 11,000 people with ASD to find out what types of mutations are seen in people with autism, what genes are involved, what these genes do in the brain, and how they influence a diagnosis. A special focus is placed on why fewer females are diagnosed than males with not-surprising, but also confirmatory influence of a protective effect. To hear a complete explanation of the findings, click here: https://asfpodcast.org/archives/902

New York, Jan. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Autism Science Foundation (ASF), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to catalyzing innovative autism research, today announced the appointment of Bryan Harkins, Executive Vice President and Head of Markets, Cboe Global Markets, to its Board of Directors. The announcement was made by Gregg Ireland, Chairman of the ASF Board of Directors, and Alison Singer, President of the ASF.

As a member of the Board of Directors, Harkins will help set the direction for the Foundation’s fundraising and support efforts for an organization leading the charge on autism research. In addition, he will help guide ASF’s efforts to educate the general public and increase awareness of autism spectrum disorders.

Harkins is the co-founder of Wall Street Rides FAR, an annual series of charity bike rides benefiting the Autism Science Foundation. Launched in 2015 by Bryan and his wife Melissa, both Wall Street veterans, the event brings together professionals from across the financial services industry on a variety of routes through Westchester County, New York, and has set new fundraising records each year. To date, Wall Street Rides FAR has raised more than $1.25 million and enjoys broad industry participation, including all of the major exchange groups.

Harkins joined Cboe Global Markets as Executive Vice President, Head of Markets in 2017 as part of Cboe’s acquisition of BATS Global Markets. Based in New York, he runs the client service, product development, and competitive strategy for the company’s U.S. equities, futures, options, and global foreign exchange businesses, its suite of market data and access services products, as well as the firm’s growing listings business. He is a graduate of The University of Notre Dame and has an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

“Bryan is a leader on Wall Street and a leader in the autism advocacy community,” said Singer. “As co-founder and chair of our flagship Wall Street Rides FAR event, he has demonstrated one of the most important qualities for philanthropy to succeed: inspiring others to do as much as they can. Bryan’s vision and determination will be invaluable in driving our mission.”

“It’s an honor and privilege to be able to join ASF’s Board of Directors,” said Harkins. “When Melissa and I created Wall Street Rides FAR, we knew we wanted to partner with an organization specifically committed to funding research and moving us closer to a cure. Working with ASF for more than five years, we’ve seen firsthand how they set the standard, and I’m excited to be able to do whatever I can for this great organization that’s helping improve the lives of so many.”

About the Autism Science Foundation:
The Autism Science Foundation (ASF) is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Its mission is to support autism research by providing funding to scientists and organizations conducting cutting-edge autism research. ASF also provides information about autism to the general public and serves to increase awareness of autism spectrum disorders and the needs of individuals and families affected by autism. To learn more about the Autism Science Foundation or to make a donation, visit www.autismsciencefoundation.org.

Sam Belden
Forefront Communications for Autism Science Foundation
212-320-8986
sbelden@forefrontcomms.com

10-year study is first to quantify the predictive value of genomic testing for autism

From the SickKids Canada and University of Alberta press department:

One of the key priorities of interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is starting early, with some evidence showing infants as young as seven months old could benefit. Yet, most children in North America aren’t diagnosed with ASD until they’re over four years of age. New research led by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the University of Alberta published on December 5, 2019 in Nature Communications has found testing the DNA of siblings of individuals with ASD may be predictive of a future diagnosis even if symptoms aren’t yet apparent.

ASD refers to a group of neurodevelopmental conditions resulting in challenges related to communication, social understanding and behaviour. Studies show families who have a child with ASD have a 6.9 to 19.5 per cent chance of another child having ASD and a 30 to 40 per cent chance of another child having atypical development.

Genomic factors linked to ASD-related traits

According to Dr. Stephen Scherer, Senior Scientist and Director of the Centre for Applied Genomics (TCAG) at SickKids, Director of the McLaughlin Centre at the University of Toronto and principal investigator of the study: “Genetic factors are the most likely reason we see a clustering of ASD related traits in families. We wanted to investigate the possible benefits of genetic testing for infants whose older sibling had already been diagnosed with ASD. If we can identify those children early, we may be able to enrol them earlier in therapies.”

The researchers looked for the presence of genetic alterations that have been linked to ASD called copy number variations (CNVs) in over 288 infant siblings from 253 families. By age 3, 157 siblings were either diagnosed with ASD or developing atypically. DNA testing revealed CNVs in genes relevant to ASD in 11 (7 per cent) of the 157 siblings who were eventually diagnosed.

The study found that the presence of an ASD-relevant CNV in a sibling had a high likelihood of predicting a future diagnosis of ASD or atypical development. This marks the first time that scientists have been able to quantify the predictive value of CNVs in determining these diagnoses.

Early identification could lead to earlier intervention

“These findings add to a growing body of evidence that biomarkers might be helpful in identifying pre-symptomatic infants who are likely to develop ASD or other developmental challenges,” says Dr. Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, Professor of Pediatrics, Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation Chair in Autism and Stollery Science Lab Distinguished Researcher at the University of Alberta.

“At this point, we can’t fully determine the anticipated severity of a child’s future symptoms. What we can say is that it’s important to closely monitor their development and start therapeutic interventions early to support their skill development and address emerging functional impairments related to ASD.”

The research team has confirmed similar findings in a separate group of 2,110 families having one child with, and a second child without ASD. Their next step will be to look beyond CNVs and determine how newer technologies – like whole genome sequencing – might increase the early genetic detection rate.

YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE STUDY HERE: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13380-2

The families who participated in the primary study are from the Baby Sibling Research Consortium (BSRC). Additional families that participated in replication testing are from the Simons Simplex Collection. This work was supported by Autism Speaks, Autism Speaks Canada, the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative, National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Genome Canada, Ontario Genomics, Kids Brain Health Network, Canadian Institutes for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation through the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute at the University of Alberta, Ontario Brain Institute, the Government of Ontario, the McLaughlin Centre at the University of Toronto, and SickKids Foundation.

About The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is recognized as one of the world’s foremost paediatric health-care institutions and is Canada’s leading centre dedicated to advancing children’s health through the integration of patient care, research and education. Founded in 1875 and affiliated with the University of Toronto, SickKids is one of Canada’s most research-intensive hospitals and has generated discoveries that have helped children globally. Its mission is to provide the best in complex and specialized family-centred care; pioneer scientific and clinical advancements; share expertise; foster an academic environment that nurtures health-care professionals; and champion an accessible, comprehensive and sustainable child health system. SickKids is a founding member of Kids Health Alliance, a network of partners working to create a high quality, consistent and coordinated approach to paediatric health care that is centred around children, youth and their families. SickKids is proud of its vision for Healthier Children. A Better World.

About the University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry

The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta is a leader in educating and training exceptional practitioners and researchers of the highest international standards. The faculty’s mission is to advance health through excellence in teaching, research and patient care. It is home to one of the top 100 ranked medical schools in the world. For more information, please visit www.ualberta.ca/medicine.

Media contacts:

Jessamine Luck
Communications Advisor

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)

jessamine.luck@sickkids.ca

416-813-7654 ext. 201436

Ross Neitz

Communications Associate

University of Alberta

rneitz@ualberta.ca
780-492-5986

The Autism Science Foundation has received Top-Rated Nonprofit status by GreatNonprofits for the seventh consecutive year.

The Top-Rated Nonprofit Award is the based on the rating and number of reviews that ASF received from volunteers, donors and aid recipients. The GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Awards are the only awards for nonprofits determined by those who have direct experience with the charities – as donors, volunteers and recipients of aid.

The ASF team thanks the community for their continued support!

NEW YORK, NY– The Autism Science Foundation (ASF), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to catalyzing innovative autism research, today announced the appointment of Shafali Jeste, MD, Associate Professor in Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Neurology at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA to its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Jeste joins a distinguished list of researchers and scientists who help guide and inform the scientific priorities of ASF, advising on top research projects to be funded and identifying and developing new opportunities that help all families and individuals with ASD.

UM psychology and engineering professors are collaborating to create a program that evaluates children for autism using digital data.

While doctors agree that children can be diagnosed with autism as early as age two, the average age of diagnosis is about 4 years old. And for minority children, research indicates that age is much older.

Yet the earlier children are diagnosed, the quicker they can take advantage of interventions that can improve their lives dramatically.

This glaring disparity prompted University of Miami psychology professors Lynn Perry and Daniel Messinger to team up with electrical and computer engineering professor Mei-Ling Shyu, physics associate professor Chaoming Song, psychology assistant professor Sierra Bainter and professor Michael Alessandri, to create a more effective way to detect autism symptoms using technology.

“One of the motivators for this line of work is to improve access to an [autism] diagnosis for everyone,” Perry said, noting that a 2018 study showed that white children were accurately diagnosed 7 percent more often than black children and 22 percent more often than Hispanic children. “We know with autism spectrum disorder, having access to early intervention is key for promoting healthy developmental outcomes in language, cognition, and social interaction.”

Today, if a parent suspects their child may be on the autism spectrum, they must take them to a licensed psychologist and undergo an assessment that includes a series of structured activities, such as a pretend birthday party, popping bubbles, and blowing up a balloon. The psychologist then scores the child’s behavior to determine a diagnosis.

“Right now, the state of the art is that highly trained clinical experts make a diagnosis, but we do not have an objective measure of autism symptoms,” Messinger said. “For example, one problem that children with autism have is they often engage in less frequent eye contact, so with this project we ascertain how often they make eye contact.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in 59 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States. Autism is a developmental disability that can cause social, communicative, and behavioral disabilities, but the condition affects each person in different ways. Autism affects boys three times more often than girls, research indicates.

Supported by UM’s Clinical and Translational Research Institute, the study, named BIAS, for the Behavioral

Imaging of Autism for Science, focuses on measuring social-communicative behaviors. These behaviors including language, facial expressions like eye contact and smiling, restricted interaction with others, and repetitive actions, are often key indicators that an individual may be on the autism spectrum, Perry and Messinger said.

Researchers are measuring these symptoms using special glasses, which record videos of the child’s facial expressions and movements, as well as audio recorders that capture language while each child undergoes the typical autism assessment. Computer vision software is then used to calculate and analyze the prevalence of certain behaviors, which helps diagnose the severity of autism symptoms, Perry said.

So far, 43 children between the ages of 2 and 5 have participated in the study through the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) at UM, which is currently completing autism assessments for families throughout Miami-Dade County with funding from The Children’s Trust.

Initial trials have shown promising results, Messinger said. One program — which Shyu’s team of engineering graduate students Saad Sadiq and Yudong Tao developed — uses machine learning to analyze a child’s language skills. So far, the computer’s scores were able to match the psychologist’s diagnosis 70 percent of the time, which is nearly twice as effective as existing technology.

Shyu, Sadiq and Tao — Shyu (center), Sadiq and Tao (left to right).

“This is a step toward developing technology that can be used to assist experts in making more informed assessments,” Shyu said. “We could simply record audio when they are at home and then produce a symptom severity score.”

The professors are now looking for more participants to expand their research. They would like to have 150 families participate before the study is completed, Messinger said.

If they succeed in crafting an effective program, it could remove obstacles for families whose children often are misdiagnosed, or not diagnosed until they are much older, Perry said.

“If people live in rural or remote communities where they might not have access to expert clinicians easily, but they do have access to video, they can record a parent and child interacting, and that video can be transmitted to someone who can use this computer vision program to better recognize kids who should be getting clinical help and attention,” Perry said.

Beyond the convenience this technology could offer, UM researchers want to examine whether children diagnosed with autism in a clinic behave similarly in other settings.

“It’s assumed that across lots of different contexts – the clinic, preschool, at home, on the playground – that children’s symptoms should be similar, but we don’t actually know that the severity of behaviors or symptoms would be the same,” Perry said. “Knowing about how children’s behaviors manifest in different contexts is really important, so that interventions can help children succeed in their everyday activities.”

New York, Aug. 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wall Street Rides FAR (WSRF), the annual charity cycling/walk event benefiting the Autism Science Foundation (ASF), today announced that it will ring the NYSE Opening Bell^® on August 19, 2019. The event, which was co-founded five years ago by Bryan and Melissa Harkins, has raised over $1 million to date for ASF, each year attracting some of the biggest names in the trading industry to participate.

“On behalf of ASF and everyone involved in the ride, let me say that we are honored to be able to celebrate the fifth anniversary of this event in such an iconic way,” said Ms. Harkins. “We are grateful to NYSE for this opportunity and hope to use this increased exposure to be able to raise even more awareness, participation at the ride and funding for ASF and its important mission.”

Mr. Harkins added: “Ringing the opening bell represents another enormous milestone for the Wall Street Rides FAR community. It also speaks to the tremendous generosity of our industry and the spirit of what this event has become – the entire industry putting competition aside for one morning and supporting an organization that makes a difference for so many.”

The following WSRF sponsors, supporters and executives will be participating in the Opening Bell ceremony:

Michael Blaugrund	NYSE
John Cogman	Tower Research Capital
Mark Dowd	Forefront Communications
Matt Giedt	Chicago Trading Company (CTC)
Melissa Harkins	Wall Street Rides FAR
Patty Koetzner	Siebert Cisneros Shank & Co, L.P.
Thomas McArdle	IMC
Jamil Nazarali	Citadel Securities
Adam Nunes	Hudson River Trading
Paul O’Donnell	Morgan Stanley
Dilip Patel	GTS
Kim Russell	State Street
Alison Singer	Autism Science Foundation
Kim Unger	STANY
Brad Vopni	Hudson River Trading

This year’s Wall Street Rides FAR will be held on October 5, 2019, once again at Saxon Woods Park in White Plains. The ride offers courses for participants of all abilities – family rides of 4 and 12 miles, longer rides of 20, 30 or 62 miles, and a 5K trail walk. The ride has grown both in terms of participation and funds raised in each of its four years, last year raising more than $350,000. It attracts many of the industry’s most prominent trading firms as participants, with companies including Cboe, GTS, Tower Research, Chicago Trading Company, Citadel, IEX, IMC, NYSE and XTX Markets sponsoring (see the full list of sponsors here). Firms interested in joining the roster of sponsors can find more information on Wall Street Rides FAR’s website, while individual riders interested in signing up may do so at www.wallstreetridesfar.org/register/.

All proceeds from WSRF go to The Autism Science Foundation, a nonprofit corporation that supports autism research by providing funding and other assistance to scientists and organizations conducting, facilitating, publicizing and disseminating autism research. The organization also provides information about autism to the general public and serves to increase awareness of autism spectrum disorders – which today impacts 1 in 59 children – and the needs of individuals and families affected by them.

The Opening Bell will ring at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time and can be viewed live on the NYSE’s website at https://www.nyse.com/bell. Photos and video of the bell ringing will be available via Facebook and Twitter @NYSE.

Mark Dowd 
Forefront Communications for Wall Street Rides FAR 
212-320-8982 
mdowd@forefrontcomms.com

The CDC released new prevalence numbers across 2010-2014 in 4 year olds. It reports differences across states, but matches the prevalence numbers in 8 year olds at 1:59. Read the report here: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/ss/ss6802a1.htm?s_cid=ss6802a1_w

The Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) is pleased to announce that Autism BrainNet is accepting applications for recently acquired brain tissue from individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as neurotypical individuals.

To date, the Autism BrainNet collection has received 146 brain donations. This includes 55 brains from individuals with a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of ASD, 17 brains from individuals with conditions related to ASD, such as epilepsy or other neurodevelopmental disorders, and 74 brains from individuals with no known psychiatric or neurological conditions.

Autism BrainNet was established in 2014 with the goal of collecting postmortem brain tissue to promote research on the causes and potential treatments of ASD and other related neurodevelopmental disorders. An initiative of Foundation Associates LLC, which was formed by the Simons Foundation and Autism Speaks, Autism BrainNet is now entirely funded by SFARI. As part of its prior legacy with Autism Speaks, Autism BrainNet also manages tissue that had been previously collected by Autism Speaks’ Autism Tissue Program (ATP). While ATP tissue has already been released to the research community, Autism BrainNet tissue will now be distributed for the first time.

“Autism BrainNet is very grateful to all the families who decided to make a donation. We deeply appreciate their gift to science at such a difficult time of their lives. We are committed to building a strong partnership between families and researchers to advance the knowledge of autism together,” says David Amaral, director of Autism BrainNet and professor at the University of California, Davis.

Tissue currently available for researchers

Frozen tissue is available from 41 ASD cases with a confirmed diagnosis, including 30 donations from Autism BrainNet and 11 brains collected by ATP, with limited previous distribution. Frozen tissue from 62 control brains and 11 cases with autism-related neurodevelopmental disorders is also available.

Fixed tissue is available from 49 ASD cases with a confirmed diagnosis, including 38 donations made to Autism BrainNet and 11 brains collected by ATP. Fixed tissue from 74 control brains and 17 other neurodevelopmental disorders is also available.

All cases from individuals with ASD are confirmed via postmortem Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) or through record review before they are released to the research community. The ages for the ASD cases range from 2 to 91 years, with the largest number of cases in the 11–40-year-old range. More information about the available tissue, tissue characteristics (e.g., age of individual, postmortem interval (PMI), RNA Integrity Number (RIN), donor diagnostic data) can be found in the Autism BrainNet tissue catalogue. Additional phenotypic information is available to approved tissue recipients.

Whole-genome sequencing is being carried out on most of the ASD cases. Autism BrainNet plans to make these data available to approved investigators.

The tissue catalogue will be updated as new diagnoses are confirmed and donations are received.

Who can apply?

Researchers from all over the world who are interested in studying ASD and related neurodevelopmental disorders are eligible to apply. All applicants must hold a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent degree and have a faculty position or the equivalent at a college, university, medical school or other research facility.

How to apply

All applicants must submit a short research proposal and demonstrate that they have adequate funding to carry out the proposed project using Autism BrainNet tissue. The form to submit a Tissue Request proposal can be found here.

Prior to finalizing their tissue request, and in order to streamline the request review process, researchers are strongly advised to contact requests@autismbrainnet.org to confirm that the parameters of their request are appropriate.

All tissue applications will be peer reviewed by the Autism BrainNet Scientific Review Committee. Autism BrainNet leadership will work with investigators to determine necessary types and amounts of tissue to complete the proposed projects. Approved requests will be fulfilled by Autism BrainNet staff. The Scientific Review Committee meets a minimum of four times per year. The time between approval of an application and receipt of tissue is estimated to be at least six weeks and will depend on the brain regions, as well as the number of samples requested.

“Autism BrainNet will make every effort to provide tissue to the greatest number of qualified researchers from the limited cases available,” says Marta Benedetti, SFARI senior scientist and president of Foundation Associates LLC, which supports Autism BrainNet. “We are committed to communicating the need for brain donations to accelerate research on the underlying causes of autism and to developing effective strategies to distribute tissue of the highest quality. We anticipate that projects will use the tissue to explore questions at all levels of investigation, from genetics through molecular to anatomical.”

More information about the tissue-request process and review can be found here.

You may have heard the news: The prevalence of autism is 1:40 according to an email survey of parents. However, there’s more information in the study that’s worthy of consideration: The high rate of unmet mental health needs in those with ASD. Learn more on the ASF podcast. Read more about the study.

Autism Science Foundation Co-Founder and President Alison Singer to Receive Honorary Degree from Emory University

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