Release courtesy of Daniel Lightfoot, Ph.D., Director, Autism Tissue Program; Autism Speaks

LOS ANGELES (December 5, 2008) - Autism Speaks is thrilled to announce the appointment of Keith A. Young, Ph.D., as Chair of the Tissue Advisory Board (TAB) of Autism Speaks. The TAB is the scientific panel that oversees the Autism Tissue Program that is a vital to Autism Speaks scientific mission to further basic biological research and the elucidation of the complex condition of the autistic spectrum.

Keith A. Young, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Research for the Texas A&M Health Science Center Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, and Neuroimaging and Genetics Core Leader of the VA Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans. Dr Young is a world-recognized researcher of human brain neuroanatomy, specializing in new techniques used to quantify how the brain is altered in psychiatric, neurological and developmental brain conditions.

The Board advises the organization about scientific review and tissue allocation of the Autism Tissue Program (www.atpportal.org), which is responsible for collection and distribution of brain tissue for the world's only public autism brain tissue consortium. Currently, brain tissues from over 100 donors in the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom are available for use in Board-approved research projects seeking to identify brain changes and genetic factors contributing to Autism. The Board also oversees production and distribution of the Autism Celloidin Library, a collection of whole-hemisphere slices for molecular and genetic studies from patients who suffered from Autism and matched controls.

We at Autism Speaks and the Autism Tissue Program are fortunate to have such a prominent member of the scientific community to helm such an important aspect of autism research and the stewardship of the most precious of human tissues.