Autism Speaks' MSSNG Genome Database

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Photo by Anna Kolosyuk on Unsplash

A graduate of Troy University in Alabama, Jennifer F. (Fendley) Salter is the founder and CEO of Senior Psychology Care, LLC, in Milton, FL. Concurrently, she serves as a territory manager at Apria Healthcare in Pensacola, FL. In her free time, Jennifer Fendley Salter contributes to Autism Speaks, which supports groundbreaking research on autism through a number of programs, including the MSSNG project.

In collaboration with Google and the greater research community, Autism Speaks has created the MSSNG genome database, which allows individuals to submit genetic material for sequencing. Both individuals with autism and their family members contribute material, which allows researchers to study autism in their efforts to help researchers identify more subtypes of autism and develop more personalized treatments for those on the autism spectrum.

So far, over 9,000 individuals have sent genetic material to the MSSNG project, and over 100 researchers in 13 countries have used data from the MSSNG database in their autism research. In addition to creating a robust repository of genetic data for researchers, Autism Speaks has created an MSSNG community portal, where program participants can learn about genetic variations related to autism and communicate with others affected by autism and related conditions.

World Suicide Prevention Day

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Photo by Barry Weatherall on Unsplash

Before joining medical equipment company Apria Healthcare, Jennifer Fendley Salter worked as a patient care representative for Baptist Healthcare in Pensacola, FL. In her personal life, Jennifer Fendley Salter is actively involved in mental health awareness campaigns based in and around her home in Milton, FL. She has also supported campaigns for suicide prevention. 

Suicide is one of the leading causes of violent death worldwide. To raise awareness of suicide prevention initiatives and educate the public on how to recognize signs of suicidal ideation, the World Health Organization and the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) named September 10 as World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) in 2003. Since the first WSPD, more than 70 countries have hosted conferences and campaigns on the one-day event. 

WSPD is also the kick-off date for the IASP fundraiser Cycle Around the Globe. The event invites participants to collectively ride the circumference of the Earth, roughly 24,000 miles, within one month. In 2018, more than 250 participants from around the world cycled over 300,000 miles, more than 15 times the target goal.