SFARI | Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative

SFARI’s mission is to improve the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders by funding innovative research of the highest quality and relevance.

SFARI

Young teenage girl and child therapist during EEG neurofeedback session. Electroencephalography concept.

News 2021 SFARI Human Cognitive and Behavioral Science awardees announced

SFARI is pleased to announce that it intends to award 11 grants in response to the 2021 Human Cognitive and Behavioral Science request for applications.

NewsNew zebrafish lines added to SFARI resources

NewsStudy using SPARK data uncovers new inherited genetic risks for autism

Resources

SFARI is working to advance autism science by providing a number of key resources to researchers.

Cohorts

Simons Simplex Collection

The Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) contains genetic and phenotypic data from nearly 3,000 families with a child affected by autism.

Simons Searchlight

Simons Searchlight is studying individuals with recurrent genetic variants associated with autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders.

SPARK

SPARK is an online research initiative that aims to recruit 50,000 individuals with autism and their family members living in the U.S.

Autism Inpatient Collection

Autism Inpatient Collection (AIC) is a study designed to produce a collection of phenotypic and genetic data from children with a clinical diagnosis of autism who have been admitted to one of six specialized inpatient…

Models

Mouse models

SFARI is helping to make mouse models of high-risk autism genes and copy number variants available to the research community.

Rat models

SFARI is helping to make rat models of high-risk autism genes available to the research community.

Zebrafish models

SFARI is helping to make zebrafish models of high-risk autism genes available to the research community.

Neural stem cell culture. Fluorescent light micrograph of groups of neural stem cells (neurospheres) in culture. Neural stem cells are able to differentiate into neurons (nerve cells) or support cells (glial cells). They are a potential source of cells to replace damaged or lost brain cells.

iPS cell models

SFARI is helping to make iPS cell lines derived from individuals who participated in the SSC and Simons Searchlight available to researchers.

Other Resources

SFARI Gene

SFARI Gene is an evolving database for the autism research community that is centered on genes implicated in autism susceptibility.

DNA analysis. Graphs showing the results of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) sequencing.

Data analysis tools

A number of visualization and analysis tools are available to explore genetic and phenotypic data from the SSC, Simons Searchlight and SPARK.

Therapeutics

Clinical Research Associates (CRA) is evaluating new potential treatments for autism, including R-baclofen.

SFARI Base

SFARI Base provides approved researchers with access to data and biospecimens from the SSC, Simons Searchlight, SPARK and Autism Inpatient Collection.

Autism BrainNet

Autism BrainNet is a collaborative network of academic sites that collects, stores and distributes brain tissue for autism research.

We solicit applications for SFARI Awards from individuals who will conduct bold, imaginative, rigorous and relevant research in four main research areas: gene discovery, molecular mechanisms, circuits, cognition and behavior, and clinical.

View Funding Opportunities

Funded Research

Since its launch in 2006, SFARI has supported over 550 investigators studying autism-related research in the U.S. and abroad. Research projects include studies at the genetic, molecular, cellular, circuit and behavioral levels, in addition to clinical and translational studies.

Research Highlights

Perceptual impairments and altered excitatory-inhibitory activity in Cntnap2 knockout mice

Bilal Haider and colleagues found that Cntnap2 knockout mice exhibited deficits in visual perception and that these were associated with diminished excitation and elevated inhibition in the visual cortex.

Probing the neural circuits of social interactions in monkeys

Michael Platt and colleagues found that monkeys create complex internal representations of social situations and uncovered neural circuitry supporting social cooperation.

Excessive dendritic spine clusters in MECP2 duplication syndrome mouse model

Stelios Smirnakis and Huda Zoghbi observed an increase in the formation and stabilization of dendritic spine clusters in the cortex of MECP2 duplication syndrome mice.

News

A Conversation with
SFARI consultant-in-residence
Gaspar Taroncher-Oldenburg

ASHG 2021 Virtual Meeting: Presentations by SFARI Investigators and collaborators

SFARI spring 2021 science meeting discusses key issues in autism research, treatments and genetic risk

Cute little caucasian girl lying in bed covering her head with blanket feeling exhausted and sleepless suffering from insomnia Depression Stress in Children Emotional and Sleeping Disorders concept.

SFARI workshop explores sleep challenges in autism spectrum disorder

A Conversation with SFARI BTI and SEED awardee J. Elliott Robinson

Test tubes for blood. Medical equipment. Multi-colored cover, a photo close up, shallow depth of field.

SFARI announces the awardees of the supplemental funding for studies of maternal COVID-19 as a potential risk for autism

Other Initiatives

SPARK is an online research initiative that aims to recruit 50,000 individuals with autism and their families. sparkforautism.org

Spectrum is an editorially independent publication funded by SFARI spectrumnews.org

Funding Opportunities

Research Highlights

Sign up for SFARI announcements

News

Event Videos

What do we mean by ‘autism risk genes’?

Small molecules, genes and antisense oligonucleotides: Industry perspectives on treatment development for ASD

New research results from the Australian Autism Biobank study

Clinical trials and cyclic AMP in fragile X syndrome: A life journey

Other Initiatives