Paul Wang, Deputy Director of Clinical Research Associates, L.L.C. (CRA), discusses the research that CRA supports, including human and animal studies using arbaclofen, a potential drug treatment for autism.

New Simons VIP Phase 2 data were recently added to SFARI Base. This data release included data from individuals with 16p11.2 copy number variants, 1q21.1 CNVs and mutations in the following single genes: ADNP, ASXL3, CHAMP1, CHD8, CSNK2A1, DYRK1A, GRIN2B, HIVEP2, HNRNPH2, MED13L, PACS1, PPP2R5D, SCN2A, SETBP1, STXBP1 and SYNGAP1.

SFARI Investigators will be giving a number of presentations at Neuroscience 2018 in San Diego, CA (November 3–7).

On January 26, 2018, SFARI held a workshop to discuss the use of zebrafish in autism research. Experts in both rodent and fish models discussed key issues in the field, including zebrafish mutant construct validity, the visualization of circuit development and function, and high-throughput phenotyping and pharmacological screens for translational opportunities.

SFARI is pleased to announce that it intends to fund 36 grants (15 Pilot Awards and 21 Research Awards) in response to the 2018 Pilot and Research Awards request for applications.

SFARI held its thirteenth science meeting April 8–12, 2018. SFARI investigators, collaborators and foundation staff came together to discuss recent findings in autism genetics, molecular and system-level mechanisms, and clinical studies. In addition to keynote and session presentations, two panels convened investigators to discuss the current state of autism genetics research and the biology of SCN2A, a high-confidence autism risk gene.

New data were added to SFARI Gene in August 2018. This data release included updated gene scores for candidate autism risk genes, as well as the addition of new genes and copy number variant loci associated with autism. New mouse, rat, zebrafish and Drosophila models were also added.

On April 10, 2018, SFARI held a workshop to discuss online platforms for visualizing and analyzing SFARI genomics data. These platforms included the Genotypes and Phenotypes in Families web interface, created by SFARI Investigator Ivan Iossifov’s team, and Hub.iobio, which is currently being developed by Frameshift.

The animal models module of SFARI Gene has recently been expanded to include two new species: Drosophila melanogaster and Danio rerio. As of now, the database lists 55 genes for Drosophila models and 24 genes for zebrafish models, in addition to several models induced by biological or chemical agents.

SFARI Investigators will be giving a number of presentations at the 11th FENS Forum of Neuroscience in Berlin, Germany (July 7-11).