Leadership Team
Doctors and Scientist Ready to Connect the Pieces.
The Autism Discovery and Treatment Foundation was created by physicians dedicated to advancing our understanding of complex neurodevelopmental conditions. The talent exhibited by our team provides the ability to handle great challenges. It is easy to see that their work has much meaning to them and those they serve.
Dr. Richard Frye, MD, PhD - Chief Scientific Officer
Richard E. Frye, an American autism researcher with expertise in neurodevelopmental and neurometabolic disorders. He is the Director of Research at the Rossignol Medical Center. He received an MD and PhD in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University. He completed a residency in Pediatrics at the University of Miami, Residency in Child Neurology and Fellowship in Behavioral Neurology and Learning Disabilities at Harvard University/Children’s Hospital Boston and Fellowship in Psychology at Boston University. He also received a Master’s degree in Biomedical Science and Biostatistics from Drexel University. He holds board certifications in Pediatrics, and in Neurology with Special Competence in Child Neurology. Dr. Frye is a national leader in autism research. He has authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, and serves on several editorial boards.
John Slattery - Chief Operating Officer
John Slattery is an expert in chronic disease management and disorders of the Central Nervous System (CNS). He is a clinical research professional with over 15 years of translational research experience, and over 35 peer-reviewed publications on the metabolic basis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). He is co-author of “Application of N-Acetylcysteine in Psychiatric Disorders” published in The Therapeutic Use of N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) in Medicine. He also started a company that has clinically validated metabolic biomarkers for early detection and therapeutic monitoring of ASD. Mr. Slattery is responsible for the ongoing operations within Autism Discovery and Treatment Foundation.
Dr. Daniel Rossignol, MD FAAFP
Dr. Rossignol, MD FAAFP is a board-certified family physician. He received his Doctorate of Medicine at the Medical College of Virginia and completed his residency in family medicine at the University of Virginia. Coming from an academic background, Dr. Rossignol searched the medical literature looking for a solution after both of his children were diagnosed with autism. He has made it his mission to research and publish in autism. Since 2006, he has 55 papers, abstracts, editorials, and book chapters (including those in press) concerning autism and related conditions. Dr. Rossignol has a special interest in autism spectrum disorders, PANS/PANDAS, cerebral palsy, and related neurological and developmental disorders as well as medically complex children and adults. Dr. Rossignol is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP) and a Fellow of the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (FMAPS). Dr. Rossignol sees patients in all three offices in California and Florida.
Dr. Adrienne C. Scheck, PhD
Adrienne C. Scheck, PhD, is a Research Scientist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University and an Associate Investigator in the Cancer Biology Program at the Arizona Cancer Center. Dr. Scheck received her undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester in NY and her PhD from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. After a postdoctoral fellowship in viral oncology at the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, she moved to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to study AIDS-related dementia. She began her studies of brain tumors while at Sloan-Kettering and moved to the Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) in 1989, where she became interested in metabolic alterations in malignant brain tumors. In 2018 she moved to University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. She currently studies the use of the therapeutic ketogenic diet (KD) to treat malignant brain tumors and she is considered a leader in this field. She is expanding this work to include studies of mitochondrial alterations, not only in malignant brain tumors but also in autism and brain injury.
Stella V. Laurella, CPA, MBA
Treasurer
Stella V. Laurella is a CPA and MBA with over 30 years of experience in the areas of accounting, financial reporting, accounting operations and financial controls within manufacturing, service industries and family offices. Her specialties include: general ledger, financial controls, controlling functions, oversight of accounting operations (A/P, A/R, Credit & Collections, Fixed Assets, Payroll, etc.), accounting/finance policies and procedures, business process improvements, system implementations, best practices, Board of Directors reporting, bank/lender reporting, Private Equity relationships, ad hoc reporting, financial analysis, remediation activities, integration, problem solving, human resources, information technology, treasury/cash management, insurance, audit, legal matters, due diligence, acquisitions, various transactions and special projects.Research Team
Alina Amarae Espinoza
Research Coordinator
Alina Amarae Espinoza is a Research Coordinator for ADTF under Dr. Frye. She graduated Honors with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Dominguez Hills, where she used electroencephalography (EEG) research methods to examine the neural mechanisms of food-related cognition, such as the reward value of food under Dr. Kaylie Carbine. During her undergraduate years, she was a behavioral therapist for kids/teens with autism and implemented Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) in clinic and home settings. With experience as a research assistant and behavioral therapist, Alina continues to expand her skills in the clinic and research lab. She is preparing to apply to PhD programs, aspiring to continue research in autism as a Clinical Neuropsychologist.
Zoë Hill
Genetic Specialist
Zoë Hill is a dedicated and science-oriented Genetic Specialist at the Autism Discovery and Treatment Foundation under Dr. Richard Frye, with a strong academic background and a commitment to advancing her clinical and scientific expertise. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Medical Studies with a Minor in Health Innovation from Arizona State University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 GPA and received the Moeur Award for academic excellence. Her extensive research experience includes roles at the Translational Genomic Research Institute in the Center for Rare Childhood Disorders Lab, and the Autism/Asperger’s Research Program at ASU, where she honed her skills in RNA sequencing, mass spectrometry, and genetic research. Zoë’s diverse skill set also includes qualitative research, study participant recruitment, and educational volunteer work, reflecting her commitment to both scientific inquiry and community engagement.
Jaclyn Bain, ND, FABNP
Investigator
Jaclyn Bain, ND, FABNP is a naturopathic physician licensed in the state of Arizona. She graduated from Sonoran University of Health Sciences in 2013 and continued her education by completing a first-year general medicine residency at National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR. Dr. Bain has completed postgraduate training in pediatrics and autism and is board certified in Naturopathic Pediatrics. She also serves on the PedANP board and as an Associate Professor, Department Chair of Pre-Clinical Studies, and Division Director of Clinical Education at Sonoran University. Evidence based complementary and alternative treatments such as nutrition, lifestyle optimization, and classical homeopathy are her preferred modalities to guide patients towards better health.
Christy Coleman, RN, BSN
Pediatric Clinical and Research Specialty Nurse
Christy Coleman is a Registered Nurse with over 15 years of nursing experience. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Arizona State University. Christy's expertise spans a broad range of nursing specialties, including NICU where she cared for critically ill infants at various medical centers, as well as Pre- and Post- operative nursing at a children's hospital. She also worked as a Case Manager where she coordinated care for patients with chronic health conditions and as a Home Infusion nurse where she administered intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) to patients with autoimmune and immune deficiency disorders, many of whom were on the autism spectrum. After her own son was diagnosed with autism in 2023, Christy dove into the latest autism research to help her son live his most fulfilling life. She now works as an RN at Rossignol Medical Center's Arizona office and under Dr. Frye at the Autism Discovery and Treatment Foundation assisting with various clinical trials.
Cara McCormack-Frye, BS Biology
Pediatric Clinical and Research Associate
Cara McCormack-Frye, B.S. Biology, is a clinical and translational research associate at the Rossignol Medical Center (RMC) and Autism Discovery and Treatment Foundation (ADTF). As a medical associate at RMC she is responsible for patient care, procedures and operations. At the RMC she works as a research associate who performed coordination and psychometric evaluations. She began her scientific career in animal behavior performing behavioral modification and assessments in spider monkeys and black rhinoceros at the Portland Metropolitan Zoo. She started with human research in her role as a research assistant as part of a large national NIH-funded MRI study of normal brain development. She also worked as a neuroimaging specialist who evaluated patients with spina bifida and traumatic brain injury and assisted on a study of functional brain mapping.
Sumedh Seetharam
Research Assistant
Sumedh Seetharam is an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. He is interested in the computational and modeling side of neurological disorders, and hopes to use data science tas a primary tool for treating autism and other conditions.
Our logo is a lightbulb shining brightly on autism. The light represents new ideas, new perspectives, and new hope. The light can only shine when all the different pieces come together: translational research to find causes, diagnostics and tests for biomarkers, clinical trials to evaluate new treatments, and clinical practices to deliver effective treatments to patients who deserve a higher quality of life.
Putting the Pieces Together
Autism is a complex behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder that affects many children and families in the United States and around the world. Autism knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries and can affect any family and any child.
Parents are told there are no known causes for autism; therefore, no known measures that can be taken to prevent autism and autism spectrum disorders.
At the Autism Discovery and Treatment Foundation, we believe that it is time to start understanding autism. It is time to start knowing more. We believe that many opportunities and answers lay ahead. We are now ready to conquer new endeavors that will have lasting impact on the lives of children with autism and their families.
We want to lead the medical and scientific field towards a deeper understanding of the psychological, behavioral and physiological mechanisms that cause autism and prevent recovery. With this deeper understanding, our foundation will become a leader in developing innovative behavioral and medical therapies that could accelerate and optimize recovery of children diagnosed with autism or autism spectrum disorder.
We also hope to discover strategies for preventing autism spectrum disorders from developing in children with risk factors that predispose them to neurodevelopmental disorders.
