Are we damaging the code for future generations?
Toxicants such as anesthesia, medications and drugs can affect the molecular coherence of human germline, that is, the genetic and epigenetic programming contained within our egg and sperm, causing pathology in offspring. We aim to educate the public, researchers, and regulators about this under-appreciated source of risk.
• For Escher Fund for Autism grant information, please see EscherFund.org
• For information about Jill Escher, please see JillEscher.com
Latest:
• Essay: The Autism Surge: Lies, Conspiracies, and My Own Kids, The Free Press [July 2023]
• The Question of Germ Cell Toxicant Exposures in the Etiology of Offspring Neurodevelopmental Pathology [May 16, 2023, UCLA Lundquist Institute]
• 5 Things You Must Know About Autism, Reality Check Edition [TEDx Monta Vista, April 2023]
• 2023 RFP Deadline March 31, 2023: Germline Exposures Grants
• Don't forget the gametes: When neurodevelopmental pathogenesis starts in the sperm and egg. [Neuroepigenetics series, July 2022]
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• For Escher Fund for Autism grant information, please see EscherFund.org
• For information about Jill Escher, please see JillEscher.com
Latest:
• Essay: The Autism Surge: Lies, Conspiracies, and My Own Kids, The Free Press [July 2023]
• The Question of Germ Cell Toxicant Exposures in the Etiology of Offspring Neurodevelopmental Pathology [May 16, 2023, UCLA Lundquist Institute]
• 5 Things You Must Know About Autism, Reality Check Edition [TEDx Monta Vista, April 2023]
• 2023 RFP Deadline March 31, 2023: Germline Exposures Grants
• Don't forget the gametes: When neurodevelopmental pathogenesis starts in the sperm and egg. [Neuroepigenetics series, July 2022]
[
• Beyond Genes: Germline Disruption in the Etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders [Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, October 2021]
• Exploring the role of nongenetic inheritance in the etiology of human disease [Biology of Reproduction, August 2021]
• How family histories can inform research about germ cell exposures: the example of autism [Biology of Reproduction, May 2021]
• 2021 Grant Programs
• Heritable Impacts of General Anesthesia: An Urgent Matter for Genetic Toxicology and Autism Research [Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society, September 2020] PDF Video
• General Anesthesia, Germ Cells and the Missing Heritability of Autism: An Urgent Need for Research [Environmental Epigenetics, July 2020]
• BEYOND GENES: The Online Conference on Non-genetic Inheritance in Human Disease, 2020 [BeyondGenes.org]
• NIEHS Environmental Factor Newsletter [November 2019 article]
• Escher Fund featured on Schwab Charitable [December 2019 web and video]
• Heritable Impacts of Toxicant Exposures: A Gap in Research and Regulation [NIEHS, September 2019, video]
• Germ Cell Exposure to Toxicants: A Gap in Research and Regulation [Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society, September 2019, video]
• Heritable Hazards of General Anesthesia [Epigenetic Inheritance Symposium, Zurich August 2019, video]
• Germ Cell Toxicant Exposure: A Gap in Research and Regulation [Brazil Mutagenesis Conference, June 2019, video]
• NIH research program on heritable (germline) impacts of general anesthesia, a response to Dr. Bianchi’s November 27, 2018 letter [June 2019 letter]
• Pregnancy Drugs, Fetal Germline Epigenome, and Risks for Next-Generation Pathology: A Call to Action. By Jill Escher and Suzanne Robotti [2019 Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis journal]
• Bugs in the Program: why non-genetic inheritance should be a priority in autism research. By Jill Escher [May 2018 Environmental Epigenetics journal]
• "Quasi-Genetics" at the Roots of Autism? By LaDonna Ford, MD and Jill Escher
[2019 blogpost]
• 150+ studies demonstrating nongenetic inheritance in mammals and humans
• Nomination of germ cell impacts of general anesthetic gases to National Toxicology Program [November 2018]
• Nomination for OHAT scoping review of human and mammal evidence for adverse heritable impacts of direct germ cell exposure to drugs and chemicals [December 2018]
• Exploring the role of nongenetic inheritance in the etiology of human disease [Biology of Reproduction, August 2021]
• How family histories can inform research about germ cell exposures: the example of autism [Biology of Reproduction, May 2021]
• 2021 Grant Programs
• Heritable Impacts of General Anesthesia: An Urgent Matter for Genetic Toxicology and Autism Research [Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society, September 2020] PDF Video
• General Anesthesia, Germ Cells and the Missing Heritability of Autism: An Urgent Need for Research [Environmental Epigenetics, July 2020]
• BEYOND GENES: The Online Conference on Non-genetic Inheritance in Human Disease, 2020 [BeyondGenes.org]
• NIEHS Environmental Factor Newsletter [November 2019 article]
• Escher Fund featured on Schwab Charitable [December 2019 web and video]
• Heritable Impacts of Toxicant Exposures: A Gap in Research and Regulation [NIEHS, September 2019, video]
• Germ Cell Exposure to Toxicants: A Gap in Research and Regulation [Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society, September 2019, video]
• Heritable Hazards of General Anesthesia [Epigenetic Inheritance Symposium, Zurich August 2019, video]
• Germ Cell Toxicant Exposure: A Gap in Research and Regulation [Brazil Mutagenesis Conference, June 2019, video]
• NIH research program on heritable (germline) impacts of general anesthesia, a response to Dr. Bianchi’s November 27, 2018 letter [June 2019 letter]
• Pregnancy Drugs, Fetal Germline Epigenome, and Risks for Next-Generation Pathology: A Call to Action. By Jill Escher and Suzanne Robotti [2019 Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis journal]
• Bugs in the Program: why non-genetic inheritance should be a priority in autism research. By Jill Escher [May 2018 Environmental Epigenetics journal]
• "Quasi-Genetics" at the Roots of Autism? By LaDonna Ford, MD and Jill Escher
[2019 blogpost]
• 150+ studies demonstrating nongenetic inheritance in mammals and humans
• Nomination of germ cell impacts of general anesthetic gases to National Toxicology Program [November 2018]
• Nomination for OHAT scoping review of human and mammal evidence for adverse heritable impacts of direct germ cell exposure to drugs and chemicals [December 2018]