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Sophia A. Colamarino (Science Director, Cure Autism Now*)
Sophia A. Colamarino, Ph.D., arrived at the Cure Autism Now Foundation (CAN) in 2004 as Science Director for one of the leading private funders of autism research in the world. Dr. Colamarino is responsible for guiding CAN’s science program in association with CAN’s scientific advisory boards, as well as working with CAN’s Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) program, the largest private repository of clinical and genetic information available for autism research. In addition to fostering a network of science, Dr. Colamarino acts as a liaison between the research and families affected by autism.
Dr. Colamarino graduated with dual degrees and honors in Biological Sciences and Psychology from Stanford University. She was awarded her Ph.D. in Neurosciences from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she studied developmental neurobiology with Marc Tessier-Lavigne, Ph.D. Her doctoral dissertation involved identification of the signals that influence development of brain connectivity. After receiving her Ph.D., Dr. Colamarino conducted research on the human genetic disorder Kallmann Syndrome at the Telethon Institute for Genetics and Medicine in Milan, Italy, led by Andrea Ballabio, M.D. She then returned to the US to work at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA, studying adult neural stem cells in the laboratory of Fred H. Gage, Ph.D., where she focused on the role of extracellular signaling molecules in promoting adult neurogenesis. Dr. Colamarino's extensive research career has included publications in such journals as Cell, Nature and Nature Medicine.
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