Request for Prader-Willi Syndrome Research and Mini-Fellowship Grant Applications
PWSA | USA is currently seeking research project applications with direct impacts on individuals and families affected by PWS. We are offering mini-fellowship grants to support providers in enhancing their understanding of PWS through clinical proctorships. Research priorities include expanding knowledge about PWS, applying therapies, and attracting new providers and investigators to the field. Funding...
Breaking Ground: FDA Grants Breakthrough Designation for PWS Drug Development
Big news! Soleno Therapeutics has announced a groundbreaking achievement: diazoxide choline (DCCR) has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the FDA for Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). This marks a significant milestone as the FIRST-EVER designation for a drug developed for PWS. The designation underscores the FDA’s recognition of PWS as a serious condition and the potential...
Calling All PWS Community Members: Sign the FDA Petition
Attention everyone in the Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) community and beyond! We need your support NOW! We are rallying behind a critical petition urging the FDA to take action on DCCR (diazoxide choline) for individuals living with PWS. Soleno Therapeutics’ investigational drug has shown remarkable promise in improving hyperphagia, reducing fat mass, and addressing challenging PWS-associated...
Harmony Biosciences Initiates TEMPO PWS Study
Harmony Biosciences Holdings, Inc. is seeking participants for its TEMPO study, a global Phase 3 trial investigating pitolisant as a potential treatment for excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in individuals aged six years and older with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). Pitolisant is a medication that could help manage sleepiness and behavioral issues in people with PWS. There...

Perry A. Zirkel has written more than 1,500 publications on various aspects of school law, with an emphasis on legal issues in special education. He writes a regular column for NAESP’s Principal magazine and NASP’s Communiqué newsletter, and he did so previously for Phi Delta Kappan and Teaching Exceptional Children.
Jennifer Bolander has been serving as a Special Education Specialist for PWSA (USA) since October of 2015. She is a graduate of John Carroll University and lives in Ohio with her husband Brad and daughters Kate (17), and Sophia (13) who was born with PWS.
Dr. Amy McTighe is the PWS Program Manager and Inpatient Teacher at the Center for Prader-Willi Syndrome at the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. She graduated from Duquesne University receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education with a focus on elementary education, special education, and language arts.
Evan has worked with the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA) since 2007 primarily as a Crisis Intervention and Family Support Counselor. Evans works with parents and schools to foster strong collaborative relationships and appropriate educational environments for students with PWS.
Staci Zimmerman works for Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of Colorado as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) consultant. Staci collaborates with the PWS multi-disciplinary clinic at the Children’s Hospital in Denver supporting families and school districts around the United States with their child’s Individual Educational Plan.
Founded in 2001, SDLC is a non-profit legal services organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the legal rights of people with disabilities throughout the South. It partners with the Southern Poverty Law Center, Protection and Advocacy (P&A) programs, Legal Services Corporations (LSC) and disability organizations on major, systemic disability rights issues involving the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the federal Medicaid Act. Recently in November 2014, Jim retired.