Julia Sommer, Ph.D.
Senior Scientific Officer
Julia Sommer, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientific Officer of the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI). SFARI supports work advancing the basic science of autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders through grantmaking, convening scientists, and supporting shared data and resources. In her role, Sommer helps shape and manage SFARI’s grant portfolio and organize scientific meetings relevant to SFARI’s mission. She also works closely with the early careers program and with the Simons Data and Biospecimens Repository (SDBR) team on establishing biospecimen resources and the creation of induced pluripotent stem cells from participants in SFARI-supported cohorts.
Before joining the Simons Foundation, Sommer’s research included studies of molecular mechanisms of neurodevelopment, in particular axonal guidance and synapse formation as well as the role of histone modifications in the regulation of gene expression. Sommer received a Masters in Biology from the University of Heidelberg, Germany and a PhD in Physiology and Cellular Biophysics from Columbia University.