Autism is a devastating neuro-developmental disorder that affects between 1:400 and 1:150 children and exacts an enormous toll on families, educational systems and society. Despite its seriousness, we are far from understanding the underlying causes of autism and we don’t have any effective treatments.  Our goal is to use the tools of neurobiology to understand the underlying biological basis of autism and to develop new treatments. Our group has a strong personal connection to autism and we will do everything we can to improve the lives of children with this disease.  We are funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke, the Fidelity Foundation, The Simons Foundation and individual donors to our research program.  We are deeply grateful for this funding but our research is expensive and there is always more we can do.  If you would like to contribute financially or you would like to volunteer please contact Ricardo Dolmetsch at ricardo.dolmetsch@stanford.edu or call 650 723 9812.