Latest News
Publications
- January 2009: MindSpec unveiled its AutDB database, a collection of >190 autism-linked genes gathered from peer-reviewed literature, in Nucleic Acids Research. This publicly accessible database was designed and developed to aid researchers in their quest to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie this neurological condition. Curators at MindSpec continuously update AutDB as new information is published. The database, licensed to the Simons Foundation, is known as SFARIGene (http://gene.sfari.org) among the research community.
- June 2009: A collaboration between MindSpec Founder/President Sharmila Banerjee Basu and Simon Baron-Cohen, the Director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University, resulted in a publication in Autism Research. The article described types of genes that the researchers found to be associated with autistic traits, empathy, and Asperger syndrome. These genes were related to sex steroids, neural growth, and social-emotional behavior.
- March 2010: MindSpec Founder/President Sharmila Banerjee Basu collaborated with Alan Pack of the Simons Foundation to publish a commentary in Disease Models and Mechanisms about SFARI Gene, the version of AutDB licensed to the Simons Foundation.
New Tools
- Autism Dictionary: Anticipated release, Spring 2010. This will be an integrated resource for neurobiological, genetic, and clinical terms about autism spectrum disorders, incorporating interactive visual and audio components.
Grants
- Summer 2008: MindSpec received funding for AutDB from the Simons Foundation after MindSpec Founder/President Sharmila Banerjee Basu presented AutDB at their DataBase Workshop in New York in September 2007. Other presenters at the workshop included Lars Bertram (Harvard Medical School), Jonathan Sebat (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), and Yves Lussier (University of Chicago Cancer Research Center).
- December 2009: MindSpec received funding from the Simons Foundation to expand AutDB by adding a new genetic category of copy number variations (CNVs), repeated stretches of DNA whose number varies between individuals due to genomic rearrangements and mutations. In the last two years, CNVs have been strongly implicated in ASD, and in a recently published genome-wide CNV study, several new susceptibility genes associated with ASD were also reported (Glessner et al. 2009).
History of MindSpec
Fall 2006: Beta release of AutDB
Dec 2006: MindSpec received 501© 3 tax exempt status from IRS
Spring 2007: Full release of AutDB with Human Gene module
Fall 2009: A new AutDB module of Animal Models is released
December 2009: Number of animal models in AutDB reached 100
Events
Annual Benefit
MindSpec hosts an annual fundraiser to sponsor their research programs. These evening benefits feature presentations about ASD, including an update on MindSpec research by Founder/President Sharmila Banerjee Basu. Attendees are encouraged to ask questions about autism to Dr. Basu and the Board Members.
First Annual Benefit: Oct 1, 2008; Old Town Hall; 3999 University Drive, Fairfax, VA
Second Annual Benefit: Dec 2, 2009; 8280 Greensboro Drive, Mclean, VA
Third Annual Benefit: Late 2010 (For questions/announcement, please contact us.)