SFARI

Join the SFARI science team and leaders in the autism research community for an informal evening of food, drink, conversation and mingling on 5 November 2018 in San Diego.

This issue of the SFARI newsletter includes: (1) SFARI 2018 Pilot and Research awardees announced, (2) SFARI Gene: New data release, (3) SFARI spring 2018 science meeting discussed latest developments in autism research, (4) SFARI workshop discusses zebrafish as experimental systems to study autism, (5) Winter 2019 Pilot Awards - Request for applications, (6) Upcoming lecture: Evdokia Anagnostou, “Thinking differently about neurodevelopment disorders and autism: Lumping vs. splitting”.

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.

This issue of the SFARI newsletter includes: (1) Winter 2019 Pilot Awards – Request for applications, (2) SFARI scientific perspectives, (3) SFARI RFA reboot: Why, what and how, (4) Drosophila and zebrafish models added to SFARI Gene, (5) SFARI Investigators elected to the National Academy of Sciences, (6) Workshop highlights online platforms for visualizing and exploring SFARI genomics data, (7) Genomic analysis for autism risk variants in SPARK – Request for applications, (8) 2018 Bridge to Independence Award – Request for applications, (9) Past lecture: Matthew State, “Autism genetics: Where have we been and where are we going?”, (10) Past lecture: Jennifer A. Doudna, “CRISPR systems: Editing the code of life”.

In this blog post, the SFARI science team provides insight into why SFARI’s request for applications grant programs are being revamped, which award types are being changed and how the new changes will be implemented.