Our Team

Richard McFarland joined the staff in 2011, having previously served as divisional administrator for the Center for Theoretical Neuroscience at Columbia University. Before that, he worked at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) as grants manager and team leader of grants…

Vincent Myers facilitates communications-related activities for SPARK including the management and monitoring of the initiative’s social media channels. He also liaises with the initiative’s marketing partner on the creation of new campaigns and recruitment materials and works with community organizations and clinical…

Alan Packer joined the Simons Foundation in 2009 to work with a team of scientists responsible for SFARI’s autism grant portfolio, with a particular emphasis on grants in the area of cell and developmental biology, and genetics.

Louis Reichardt joined the foundation to lead SFARI in 2013. His role at SFARI is to set strategic priorities that guide funding decisions and to identify new opportunities for enhancing the scientific understanding of autism spectrum disorders as well as improving diagnosis…

Beverly Robertson is the Participant Engagement and Outreach Manager with SPARK. She is working to create and cultivate a research community of individuals with ASD and their families. Robertson joined the Simons Foundation in 2016 after spending 20 years working in maternal…

Julia Sommer joined the Simons Foundation in 2011 to become a member of the team of scientists that manage SFARI’s grant portfolio and targeted projects. She mainly focuses on grants of cellular and molecular studies in autism, including many projects that make…

John Spiro joined the foundation in 2007 and until 2020 was deputy scientific director, where he worked with the SFARI director to oversee all aspects of the foundation’s autism research initiatives, including managing a team of scientists and administrative staff involved in…