Theresa Strong, Ph.D., Director, Research Programs, Foundation for Prader-Willi Research; Adjunct Professor, Department of Genetics, the University of Alabama at Birmingham
Dr. Strong received a B.S. from Rutgers University and a Ph.D. in Medical Genetics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She performed postdoctoral studies at the University of Michigan in the laboratory of Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., studying the molecular basis of cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s disease. After her postdoc, she returned to the faculty at UAB, where her laboratory focused on developing gene therapy approaches for cancer. She became the Director of UAB’s Vector Production Facility and a Professor in the Department of Medicine. Strong is one of the founding members of the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research (FPWR) and has directed its grant program since its inception. In October of 2016, she transitioned to a full-time position as Director of Research Programs at FPWR. She remains an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Genetics at UAB. She and her husband Jim have four children, including a son with Prader-Willi Syndrome.