Tuesday, May 18, 2010

U.S. Research Policy: HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appoints five new public members to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)

At the April 30, 2010 full meeting of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) - the Federal advisory committee mandated by The Combating Autism Act (CAA) of 2006 (P.L. 109-416 – ) to coordinate research activities within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - and the Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC), five new public members appointed by Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius were added to the Committee.
"The new members will bring additional points of view and expertise to the IACC...'By adding new voices to the IACC and expanding the number of organizations represented on the committee, we hope to broaden our perspectives and increase coordination efforts,' said Dr. Thomas Insel, IACC Chairman and director of the National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)."
New Members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee:

Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer, Autism Speaks
Dr. Dawson is the Chief Science Officer for Autism Speaks, working with the scientific community and stakeholders to shape and expand the foundation's scientific vision. She also is a licensed clinical psychologist with a research focus on early detection and intervention, early patterns of brain dysfunction and the identification of biological markers for autism genetic studies. Dr. Dawson also serves as Research Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University and Professor Emeritus of Psychology at University of Washington.
Gerald D. Fischbach, M.D.
Scientific Director, Simons Foundation
Dr. Fischbach is the Scientific Director for the Simons Foundation, where he oversees the Autism Research Initiative. He has spent his career as a neuroscientist studying the formation and maintenance of synapses, the junctions between nerve cells which allow signals to be transmitted. Before joining the Simons Foundation, Dr. Fischbach served as the Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) from 1998 to 2001 and as the Executive Vice President of Columbia University Medical Center and Dean of the faculties of medicine from 2001 to 2006.
Ari Ne'eman
Founding President of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN)
Mr. Ari Ne'eman is the Founding President of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, where he works to increase the representation of autistic people in public policy discussions. He is an adult on the autism spectrum and a leading advocate in the neurodiversity movement. Mr. Ne'eman has served on the New Jersey Adults with Autism Task Force and the New Jersey Special Education Review Commission, where he authored a minority report advocating legislative action against the use of aversives, restraint and seclusion. He is a board member of TASH, an advocacy group for people with disabilities, and is involved with the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education.
Denise D. Resnik
Co-founder of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center; President of Denise Resnik & Associates
Denise Resnik is the co-founder and Board Development Chair of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). She is the mother of an 18-year-old son with autism. Ms. Resnik serves on the Autism Speaks Family Services Committee and Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA) Steering Committee. She participated in the 2006 NIMH Autism Matrix Review and the IACC Scientific Workshops to develop the IACC Strategic Plan and subsequent updates.
Marjorie Solomon, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the University of California, Davis
Dr. Marjorie Solomon is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis. She serves on the faculty of the Medical Investigation of Neurological Disorders (MIND) Institute and the Autism Research Training Program, where she conducts research on a social skills training intervention for high-functioning children with ASD, incorporating parents and siblings in the research. In addition to her clinical research work, Dr. Solomon studies cognition and learning in high-functioning individuals with ASD.
These five new members join those Public members already on the IACC,

Lee Grossman
President and CEO
Autism Society
Bethesda, MD

Yvette M. Janvier, M.D.
Medical Director
Children's Specialized Hospital
Toms River, NJ

Christine M. McKee, J.D.
Rockville, MD

Lyn Redwood, R.N., M.S.N.
Co-Founder and Vice President
Coalition for SafeMinds
Tyrone, GA

Stephen M. Shore, Ed.D.
Executive Director
Autism Spectrum Consulting
Newton, MA

Alison Tepper Singer, M.B.A.
President
Autism Science Foundation
New York, NY

and the Federal Members who represent different agencies.

For further information

HHS Secretary Sebelius Appoints Five New Members to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)
Friday, April 30, 2010

Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Member Roster

Past post
Thursday, April 29, 2010
April 30, 2010 Meeting of the Full Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC); Live videocast available

Saturday, February 6, 2010
U.S. Research Policy: Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee releases the 2010 IACC Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

© 2010 Regina G. Claypool-Frey
Disclaimer: This blog publishes news and announcements only as a service to interested persons, the posts are the responsibility of the individual author, and unless otherwise noted do not constitute nor claim to represent the official position of ABA International, its officers or associated entities. This blog makes no representation as to the accuracy of the report and readers are strongly encouraged to consult and reference the primary sources noted.
 
550 W. Centre Ave., Portage MI 49024-5364
Phone: (269) 492-9310 | Fax: (269) 492-9316 | E-mail: mail@abainternational.org