SafeMinds Accomplishments

Since its inception in 2000 SafeMinds has:

	Established the link between mercury and autism through the landmark paper, "Autism, A Novel Form of Mercury Poisoning." SafeMinds is the driving force pushing forward science that links environmental factors, such as mercury, to autism.
	Sponsored more than $750,000 in research related specifically to mercury and adverse neurological outcomes. This level of financial commitment establishes SafeMinds as the largest private non-profit organization funding mercury and autism-related research. For a list of research funded by SafeMinds, click here. (Link is http://www.safeminds.org/research/)
	Brought this issue to national attention by publishing peer-reviewed articles, networking with leading scientists in the fields of toxicology and autism research, testifying before government committees and working with David Kirby on the publication of Evidence of Harm.
	Relentlessly pursued the scientific truth about mercury and neurodevelopmental disorders. SafeMinds provides constant surveillance and vigilance on misinformation about this issue in the media and provides rapid and high-quality responses to this misinformation.

SafeMinds ultimate goal is to find the truth – to encourage and support efforts to conduct medical research that provide credible findings to support that the mercury-autism hypothesis is true and to help find treatments that will reverse the damage these children have incurred.

2007 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Funded the following research and other program activities:
- Richard Deth of Northwestern on thimerosal effects on glutathione and methionine synthase in mouse brain using mouse strains from Mady Hornig's lab. Co-funded by NAA. SafeMinds' portion is $21,000.
- Elizabeth Sajdel-Sulkowska, D.Sc. of Harvard, "Brain region-specific oxidative stress in autism; standardization of tissue protocols and evaluation of potential artifacts", with mercury detection and identification of mercury-associated biomarkers in autism and control postmortem brains and rat brains as animal models. Co-funded with ARI. SafeMinds portion is $18,000.
- Vas Aposhian, University of Arizona, detection of mercury in autism brains versus controls, using postmortem samples. $79,000.
- Mady Hornig and grad student, Columbia University, evaluation of feasibility of studying Stella Chess archives at Columbia of mothers and offspring exposed to rubella and immune globulin with thimerosal in 1960s. Cost TBD but is estimated to be under $5,000.
- $10,000 to fund the Age of Autism blog launched by Dan Olmsted.
- $10,000 for research as part of the Autism Coalition.
SafeMinds board members Mark Blaxill and Laura Bono served on the planning committee for a workshop sponsored by the Institute of Medicine on Autism and The Environment: Challenges and Opportunities for Research.Attended the NIEHS workshop on Children's Environmental Health on Asthma, Lead, Metabolic problems, ADD/ADHD.
Submitted public comments on IACC Autism Research Matrix. Sponsored David Kirby and Arthur Allen debate at UC San Diego. Responded to CDC Autism Prevalence study. Attended Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting. SafeMinds president Lyn Redwood attended a stakeholders meeting sponsored by the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs in Herndon, Virginia. Supported the recommendation banning the use of mercury in all prescription and over-the-counter products approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Lyn Redwood attended the vision setting meeting for the Congressionally Directed Department of Defense Autism Spectrum Disorder Research program in Herndon, Virginia SafeMinds board members Mark Blaxill, Laura Bono, Sallie Bernard and Lyn Redwood participated in the IOM workshop. Mark Blaxill wrote paper, "Implications of Autism Genome Project Consortium Findings."
Responded to University of Missouri Study on autism and Rh immune globulin injections.
Met with NIEHS to further the autism research agenda and to begin the follow up from the IOM meeting.
Met with NCEH at the CDC to discuss the symptoms seen in autistic children, what seemed to be happening, what the current theories were regarding glutathione, inability to detox, etc.
Met with the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities to share that we want to help autistic children with effective treatments and that getting correct figures and declaring an epidemic were keys to creating a national research agenda focused on the cause and cure of autism.
Lyn Redwood participated in an NIH Autism Strategic Plan Brainstorming Meeting held in Bethesda, MD
Lyn Redwood and Laura Bono met with Dr. Thomas Insel, Director of NIMH and Dr. Duane Alexander, Director of NICHD as a follow up to the IOM workshop regarding opportunities for Public-Private Partnerships.
Presented notebook by hand-delivery to the Office of Research and Integrity (Division of HHS) in Bethesda, MD regarding the flaws of the VSD.
Laura Bone began to get involved as the SafeMinds representative to the Public Private Partnership group at NIEHS.
Lyn Redwood served as a reviewer for the IOM Report "Autism and the Environment: Challenges and Opportunities for Research report.
Lyn Redwood and Laura Bono met with representatives from NCEH, NIMH and HHS to discuss next steps necessary to begin investigations into toxicant exposures in children diagnosed with autism.
Lyn Redwood attended the NIH IACC meeting on behalf of SafeMinds.
Rallied volunteers around the country to help distribute 5,000 SafeMinds brochures exposing the risks of thimerosal containing flu vaccine. Board member Scott Laster launched online flu vaccine campaign.
SafeMinds board members presented at Autism One, DAN! conferences and local meetings around the country.
SafeMinds Autism One fundraiser raises $22,000.
SafeMinds FunnyRaiser held in Atlanta – Heidi Roger, Scott Laster, Lyn Redwood, Laura Bono and so many other volunteers helped make this night a huge success!

2006 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

As we look back over this year, SafeMinds realizes how proud we are to be part of a community of families and advocates who are working hard to ensure that all children are safe. Our community's support of our mission through volunteer time, contributions and kind words have enabled us to accomplish a great deal in 2006.

Currently, the EPA estimates that 1 in every 6 women of childbearing age has sufficient levels of mercury in their bodies to cause possible neurological injury to their unborn children. In our ongoing effort to publicize the dangers of mercury exposure and related neurodevelopmental disorders and bring national attention to this issue, SafeMinds has:

Funded over $200,000 in research related specifically to mercury and adverse n. eurological outcomes. This amount represents the most we have funded in a single year, bringing the total of research funded to more than $750,000.
Sponsored a workshop and half-day session devoted solely to autism at the 23 rd annual Neurotoxicology Conference held in Little Rock, Arkansas._
Worked diligently on drafting revisions to the Combating Autism Act and advocating for environmental research provisions in the legislation.
Attended the meeting of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) and presented the members with a 10-page document signed by 15 national organizations requesting the committee state a preference for mercury free flu vaccines for pregnant women, infants and children as recommended by the Institute of Medicine in 2001.
Rallied volunteers around the country to help distribute 5,000 SafeMinds brochures exposing the risks of thimerosal containing flu vaccine.
Attended the National Academy of Sciences meeting, "Toxicogenomics and Early Life Exposures" in Washington, D.C.
Participated in a media briefing with Put Children First on the results of a flu vaccine survey demonstrating that 76% of respondents were unaware that most flu shots contained mercury.
Collaborated with the National Autism Association on developing detailed recommendations for additional environmental research to be included in the National Institute of Health autism research matrix. These recommendations were presented at the NIH Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee.
Presented a statement on the Vaccine Safety and Public Confidence Assurance Act at the press conference sponsored by Congressman Dave Weldon.
Prepared and distributed a document to the NIEHS when they were asked to look in the VSD data. The document offered suggestions in hopes that past mistakes using VSD will not be repeated so as to create the most valid and reliable study possible.
Participated on the Public Interest Liaison Group to the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences.
Sponsored a conference on autism recovery in Bolinas, California.
Presented at DAN! Conferences and local autism meetings.
Thanks to Tracy Paradowski and our supporters in the Buffalo, New York area we held our first Steps for SafeMinds fundraising walk.

Additionally, SafeMinds has raised public awareness regarding the harmful effects of mercury exposure and related neurodevelopmental disorders by monitoring information regarding mercury exposure in the media and issuing rapid and accurate responses. The studies below represent only a few such studies that continue to mislead our community and to which SafeMinds issued a speedy response:

Dr. Paul Shattuck's study in Pediatrics, "Diagnostic Substitution and Changing Autism Prevalence" challenged the studies findings and conclusions._
The Journal of the American Academy of Physicians Assistants article, "Vaccines, thimerosal and neurodevelopmental outcomes," where SafeMinds corrected several inaccuracies. _
Dr. Eric Fombone's July 2006 Pediatrics article which stated that it was "very clear" that there is no relationship between mercury-based thimerosal in vaccines and the onset of autism.

Our 2006 accomplishments were many and there are more to tackle in 2007. We are grateful for all the support of our community during this past year and hope that support will continue as we pursue ending the personal health devastations caused by the needless use of mercury in all applications where alternatives exist.