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

Dr. Kelsey Martin photographed at her office at the David Geffen School of Medicine in Westwood, November 17, 1016.

News Kelsey Martin to lead the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative, Neuroscience Collaborations

The Simons Foundation is delighted to announce that neuroscientist Kelsey Martin will be the next director of SFARI. Starting in September 2021, she will helm SFARI’s continuing work to improve the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders by funding innovative high-quality research.

News2020 SFARI Collaboration on Sex Differences in Autism awardees announced

Autism Rat Models Consortium – Request for Applications

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 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.

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

Impaired long-range communication and reduced anxiety-related behavior in Pogz deficient mice

Vikaas Sohal and John Rubenstein found that Pogz heterozygous mice exhibited reduced anxiety-related avoidance behavior and that this correlated with impaired communication between the ventral hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex.

Pupil responses predict reward sensitivity and autism status

Vanessa Troiani and colleagues demonstrated a linear relationship between pupil dilation, reward/punishment sensitivity and individual ASD diagnostic status.

Cellular system to screen ASD risk gene function

Robi Mitra and colleagues have developed a scalable CRISPR/Cas9 RNA sequencing assay in a human neuronal differentiation cell model, enabling high-throughput assessments of how repression of ASD risk genes affects transcription and neuronal differentiation.

News

Autism BrainNet tissue requests can now be made through SFARI Base

SFARI Investigators and affiliated staff appointed to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee

SFARI workshop explores the use of rat models in autism research

A young female students enjoy while pipetting in a sterile laboratory environment. Science, chemistry, lab, people

SFARI continues support of Summer Undergraduate Research Program

2021 Autism BrainNet Appreciation Award: Recipients announced

10 years of Simons Searchlight: Advancing research on autism and genetic neurodevelopmental conditions

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