Within our clinical and research practice, we strive to understand autism spectrum disorders and to identify new ways to diagnose, manage and treat them.

Michael G. Chez, M.D. has been in practice and an active investigator in pediatric neurological conditions for more than 18 years. He is an international resource in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy and autism in children. Some of his significant breakthroughs include using Alzheimer's medications like memantine to treat autism and frontal lobe damage in children. He has also explored the use of natural supplements with neuro-protective properties like carnosine and turmeric to improve communication and behavior in autistic children. Dr Chez has also been collaborating with leading researchers in the United States on immunological and neurotransmitter abnormalities in various types of autistic patients. In epilepsy, Dr. Chez has used the Ketogenic Diet to decrease seizures in epileptic children. Dr. Chez is a recognized expert in language and cognitive epilepsies such as Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, and has interests in neuroimmunology and use of ACTH and steroids in epilepsy treatment.

Research Partners

Sutter Institute for Medical Research
We are affiliated with the Sutter Institute for Medical Research. SIMR has been helping physicians pursue their passion for discovery by providing administrative support for research for more than 40 years. Through SIMR, countless physicians have taken part in hundreds of preclinical, clinical and outcome studies, forwarding our understanding of disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

U.C. Davis MIND Institute
Dr. Chez is an Associate Professor at the university of California Davis Medical School as Adjunct faculty in Neurology. He works in partnership with SIMR and Colleagues at the U.C. Davis MIND Institute to better understand the causes and develop better treatments and ultimately cures for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Autism.

 Future Clinical Trials

Evaluation and treatment of elevated tumor necrosis factor alpha levels in children with autism.

Trial of Valproic Acid for abnormal EEG without clinical epilepsy in autistic patients.