Directors' Columns
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12 March 2013Comments ( 1 )
A number of autism risk factors converge on one cellular pathway: abnormal remodeling of the cell's structural systems through the signaling protein Rho, says SFARI’s associate director for research, Alan Packer.
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30 October 2012Comments ( 5 )
Which grant applications should SFARI choose to fund each year? The principles that guide that decision are nuanced and evolve as new results emerge. But there are some clear general guidelines in place, says John Spiro, SFARI’s deputy scientific director.
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25 September 2012Comments ( 3 )
New genetic variants that increase susceptibility to autism are emerging at a rapid pace. Given the profusion of data, it seems timely to assess the availability and usefulness of mouse models in which to study these genetic risk factors.
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13 March 2012Comments ( 1 )
Dysregulation of the intracellular signaling pathway RAS, a risk factor for idiopathic autism, may provide a unifying theory of the disorder. Although this is not an altogether new hypothesis, several new findings have strengthened the evidence for it considerably.
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11 April 2011Comments ( 2 )In November, the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) launched a request for applications, calling for letters of intent from individuals who will conduct bold, imaginative and rigorous research relevant to our mission. Applicants received notice in late February indicating whether they should submit a full application. Here, John Spiro, SFARI’s senior associate director for research, attempts to demystify the grant-making process — and give readers a behind-the-scenes look at how SFARI’s science team makes decisions.
