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 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.
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.
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 and others.
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.
Funding Opportunities
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.
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
Charles Nelson, Helen Tager-Flusberg and colleagues assessed language development in infants at high risk and low risk of ASD. They reported parental mean length of utterance as a possible difference in the high-risk group.
Gerald Crabtree, Joseph Gleeson and colleagues defined a new recessive form of ASD caused by mutations in ACTL6B, part of the BAF complex, which regulates activity-responsive transcription in resting neurons.
Jessica Cardin and colleagues identified an important and unexpected role for the VIP subclass of interneurons in mediating the functions of MeCP2 in the development of cortical circuits.
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