Synchrony 2026
Advancing Care, Improving Outcomes. Bringing Hope.
A CONFERENCE FOR PARENTS, CAREGIVERS, & FAMILIES
speakers:
Jennifer Frankovich, M.D., MS
Clinical Professor, Stanford University
TALK TITLE: Recognizing Possible Rheumatologic Clues in Youth and Adults with Autism
– When sudden behaviors may have a medical cause
– Autoimmune and inflammatory conditions affecting behavior
– Current approaches to evaluation and treatment
Laura Pace, M.D., Ph.D, FACG
Neurogastroenterologist. Director, Neuroimmune Axis Disorders Program. Founder & CEO Meliora Bio
TALK TITLE: Neuroimmune Axis Disorders
– Neuroimmune disorders affecting the GI tract
– Understanding GI symptoms that impact behavior
– Emerging diagnostic and treatment approaches
Sam Pleasure, M.D., Ph.D
Professor of Neurology, UCSF
TALK TITLE: When Should a Child with Autism Be Evaluated for Brain Inflammation?
– What are autoantibodies?
– Current research into immune-mediated neurological disorders
– Advances in lab testing and precision medicine
Richard Jin, M.D., Ph.D
A.P. Giannini Fellow, Psychiatrist, University of California San Francisco
TALK TITLE: Catatonia in Autism: Recognizing the Signs and Finding Effective Treatment
Kevin William Hoffman, M.D., Ph.D
Clinical Assistant Professor, Stanford University
TALK TITLE: When Your Child Suddenly Changes: Clues That There May Be an Underlying Medical Cause
Shebani Sethi M.D., ABOM
Founder & Director of the Metabolic Psychiatry Clinical Program, Assistant Professor, Stanford University
TALK TITLE: Metabolic Psychiatry: Could Metabolism Affect Brain Health and Behavior?
Jeremy Veenstra Vanderweele, M.D.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Columbia University
TALK TITLE: Opportunities for Improving Care in ASD
Ahmed Obeidat, M.D., Ph.D
Associate Professor of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin
TALK TITLE: When New Psychiatric Symptoms Appear: Could Inflammation Be Affecting the Brain?
Arthur Krigsman, M.D.
Pediatric Gastroenterologist
TALK TITLE: The Gut–Brain Connection: Practical Parent Guidance in Navigating Inflammatory Bowel Conditions
Herb Lachman, M.D.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
TALK TITLE: Genetics and Deteriorations in ASD: What Can Our Genes Tell Us?
Christina Hermos M.D., MMSc
Associate Professor, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, UMass Chan Medical School
TALK TITLE: Could an Infection Trigger a Sudden Change? What Parents Should Look For & Pitfalls to Avoid
John Gaitanis, M.D.
Pediatric Neurologist, Hasbro Children’s Hospital
TALK TITLE: Your Autism Roadmap: From Diagnosis to Personalized Care
Charles Niesen, M.D.
Pediatric Neurologist, CEO AMS Neurology
TALK TITLE: What’s on the Horizon? Promising Clinical Trials in Autism
Craig Rouskey, MSc
Founder and CEO Flore. Microbiome
TALK TITLE: What’s on the Horizon? Promising Clinical Trials in Autism
Neil Emery, M.D.
Internal Medicine/Pediatric Specialist
TALK TITLE: Your Autism Roadmap: From Diagnosis to Personalized Care
EXPERT PHYSICIAN PANELS
Supporting Families After Diagnosis
- Building your child’s medical team
- Choosing specialists
- Medical comorbidities often missed
- Questions every family should ask
Catatonia in Autism
- Recognizing symptoms
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
- When urgent evaluation is needed
Behavioral Deteriorations in autism
- Medical causes of regression
- Immune, GI, neurologic and psychiatric contributors
- Current treatments
- Future therapies
MEET THE EXPERTS…
INTERACTIVE RECEPTION
Parents — Caregivers — Adults with Autism
Meet one on one with expert physicians, ask questions, connect with other
families, and learn about future BRAIN Foundation initiatives
BRAIN FOUNDATION UPDATES
PARTNERING WITH STANFORD
Partnering with Stanford University to develop physician consensus protocols for behavioral deteriorations in autism.
Advancing clinical trials
Developing a multi-center clinical trial platform to accelerate research & clinical treatment
funding autism research
Supporting autism research advances at 30+ institutions across the country
Together we are advancing research, improving clinical care, and bringing hope to individuals with autism and their families…
POSTER SESSIONS BY ASD HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS
bring your work and inspire us
Synchrony 2026 will feature a low-stakes poster session to display the work and impact of ASD students. Please contact us info at brainfoundation.org if you are interested in displaying neurodiverse student projects / research.
Synchrony day camp available
A day camp on for the children/young adults of those attending the Synchrony Symposium 2026 is offered by Luminous Pathways, who will be providing arts and crafts, games, lunch and outings for the day. Luminous Pathways staff that are leading the day camp come with behavior training and specialize in working with differently abled individuals. Please note that a place at this camp has to be registered through Luminous Pathways and can be billed through SDP. Click here for more details.
Register your place
NOTE: Synchrony 2026 talks will be recorded and shared with registered delegates. If you register but are unable to attend in person you will receive a link to conference videos at a later date.
NOTE: Individuals with SARC and their families should connect with their Service Coordinator/case manager to authorize conference fees (our vendor number is ZS2940). For those outside of SARC, please consult your service coordinator for how to use conference/educational funds. For SDP, work with your FMS and contact us if you need help adding BRAIN as a vendor.
Event Venue
Crowne Plaza, 4290 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, California
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BIOMARKERS
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GENETICS
ANIMAL MODELS
EPILEPSY & SEIZURES
NEUROINFLAMMATION
FDA APPROVAL
NOVEL THERAPEUTICS
BASIC SCIENCE
NEUROLOGY
ENDOCRINOLOGY
ORGANOIDS
GASTROENTEROLOGY
NEUROLOGY
TREATMENT TRIALS
BIOMARKERS
IMMUNOLOGY
GENETICS
ANIMAL MODELS
EPILEPSY & SEIZURES
NEUROINFLAMMATION
FDA APPROVAL
NOVEL THERAPEUTICS
SYNCHRONY PUBLICATIONS
