CONFERENCES
Families with Autism Helping Families with Autism
Session Descriptions
Martha R. Herbert, MD, PhD
How much of autism can be explained by chronic active biological processes?
More and more evidence is undermining the assumption that autism is a genetically determined lifelong and hopeless brain disorder. This talk will explain that considering autism to be treatable medically means defending the idea that autism can be to a significant extent a result of chronic active biological processes (like oxidative stress and inflammation) and not just an outcome of problems with brain development. Supporting this argument with clinical and research data is necessary to strengthen the transformation of autism from a psychiatric to a whole-body, whole-system medical condition that affects both body and brain.
Martha Herbert is a pediatric neurologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and Harvard Medical School, and an affiliate of the Harvard-MIT-MGH Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging. She is director of the TRANSCEND Research Program (Treatment Research and Neuroscience Evaluation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, which takes a whole body approach to brain research to guide the development of sensitive methods for measuring brain changes from treatment so that we can have objective measures for treatment outcome studies. She is also pursuing multisystem prospective at-risk infant sibling research starting prenatally and at birth for the infant to monitor medical and physiological development in parallel with behavioral development so that we can identify measures of risk for autism that will allow targeted medical intervention as early as possible.
TIM BUIE, MD
Gastrointestinal Issues in Children with Autism
Dr. Buie will discuss differences in children with autism that might be relevant to medical issues including:
- Review medical literature regarding GI issues in autism
- Demonstrate difficulties in diagnosis of medical issues in autism
- Explore one diagnosis (GERD) in autism as an example
- Talk about how research should consider GI conditions in autism research
Dr. Buie is a board certified Pediatric Gastroenterologist. He attended medical school at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Dr. Buie practices at Massachusetts General Hospital, and serves as a clinician and consultant at Massachusetts General Hospital's Ladders Program for Children with Autism. Dr. Buie is also an instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and an assistant clinical professor in Pediatrics at Tufts University.
ANJU USMAN, MD
Biofilm and Chronic Infections
Biofilm producing organisms may cause persistent infections that evade the immune system and are difficult to eradicate. Biofilms are a hot topic of research and studies have been conducted regarding strategies to eliminate them. Biofilms and biofilm reducing interventions will be discussed.
Dr. Usman is director of True Health Medical Center in Naperville, Illinois. She specializes in the treatment of biochemical imbalances in children with ADD and Autism. She has been involved in research involving copper/zinc imbalances, metallothionein dysfunction, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and chronic infections in ASD patients. She is actively involved in the “Defeat Autism Now!” movement as a speaker and researcher. Dr. Usman received her medical degree from Indiana University. She completed a residency in Family Practice at Cook County Hospital, in Chicago, Illinois and is board certified in Family Practice.