Our Team

Marta Benedetti joined the Simons Foundation in 2007 and works with the SFARI team to evaluate and manage the SFARI autism grant portfolio, with particular emphasis on grants in the area of molecular and cellular biology. She has been responsible for the…

Serena Bianchi joined the foundation in 2017 as science writer for SFARI.org. Her responsibilities include contributing to communication of SFARI’s scientific priorities, research portfolio and resources for scientists. Bianchi has an undergraduate degree from the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, a M.S. from…

Libby Brooks is a psychologist helping SPARK analyze and manage clinical data. She has been involved in autism research since she began working with the Simons Foundation in 2010 as a research assistant on the Simons Simplex Collection. Since then, Brooks has volunteered…

Lindsey Cartner joined the Simons Foundation in 2016 to provide support to the Simons Variation in Individuals Project (Simons VIP). Since then she has joined the SPARK team and taken on increasing responsibilities. Cartner helps to organize and coordinate SPARK events and…

Wendy Chung is director of clinical research at SFARI and the principal investigator of SPARK (Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research through Knowledge) and the Simons Variation in Individuals Project (Simons VIP). She joined the foundation in 2012, after serving on the SFARI’s…

Amy Daniels oversees the day-to-day activities of SPARK, from recruitment efforts to online participation to the recontacting of families to participate in new research efforts. She joined the Simons Foundation in 2015 after working as assistant director of public health research at…

Pamela Feliciano joined the Simons Foundation in 2013 and serves as the scientific director of SPARK (Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research through Knowledge) and is a senior scientist at SFARI. SPARK is a SFARI initiative that seeks to accelerate autism research through…