Sfari News - November 2009

Nov. 10, 2009

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No. 1

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A Newsletter from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative

Director's column: The gene-cognition gap Simons Simplex Collection recruits 1,500 families SFARI awards 23 new grants Genome scan links chromosome 5 to autism SFARI Gene offers animal model modules

Welcome to the first newsletter of the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI). This periodic newsletter will highlight news and items of interest about our research community. More information can be found at sfari.org. Please bear with us as we streamline the process to log in and comment on the website. Feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone who might be interested in our work.

The gene-cognition gap In the first of a continuing series of columns, SFARI Scientific Director Gerald D. Fischbach discusses the rapidly evolving neuroligin saga, saying it offers a rare opportunity to bridge the gap between genes and cognition. "It may be naïve to think that we are on the verge of moving from an identified genetic risk factor (neuroligin) to a defined cellular alteration (excitatory-inhibitory imbalance), a change in circuit behavior (reduced synchronization), and a neural correlate of cognition (gamma oscillation)," writes Fischbach. "It will take time, imagination, collaboration and resources to refine these hypotheses. But this is what we should be about. The movement from genes to behavior is the Holy Grail of autism research." Read More »

Simons Simplex Collection recruits 1,500 families SFARI has recruited more than 1,500 simplex families into its Simons Simplex Collection, moving closer to the initial goal of collecting DNA samples and phenotypic data from a total of 2,000 families. The Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) is a core project and resource of SFARI. The primary goal of the SSC is to establish a repository of genetic samples and phenotypic data that can aid in the effort to shed light on the causes of autism. Read More »

SFARI awards 23 new grants SFARI announces the addition of 23 distinguished investigators to our research community as a result of the 2009 RFA. The addition of these researchers brings the total number of laboratories currently supported by SFARI to 87, as part of our effort to support bold, imaginative and rigorous research aimed at understanding the causes of autism. A full list of our funded research can be found at sfari.org/current-grant-recipients. Read More »

Genome scan links chromosome 5 to autism A news story on our website highlights a recent finding that a detailed genetic scan of families with autism has found a region on chromosome 5 that is strongly associated with autism, and two new genomic areas that may harbor rare variants relevant to the disorder. Previous studies of autism have implicated spots on chromosomes 15, 16, 5 and many others, but this is the first to link the disorder to the 5p15 region. Read More »

SFARI Gene offers animal model modules SFARI Gene, the world's first genetic database for autism, is launching a new animal model feature. Continuously updated by a team of curators, the database allows researchers to search for genes that have been linked to autism in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. The new module identifies the relevant literature on animal models carrying mutations in any of the genes listed in SFARI Gene.

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