Robert Knutzen, M.B.A., is the CEO, Chairman of the Board and Co-founder of the Pituitary Network Association (PNA). This non-profit organization was created in 1990 shortly after Mr. Knutzen was diagnosed with the pituitary disorder, acromegaly. The PNA has been instrumental in raising awareness of the dangers associated with pituitary diseases and disorders worldwide. To that end, the PNA organizes conferences, publishes health information, raises money to support research, and hosts a chat room/web forum for the pituitary community. On a daily basis, the PNA helps individual pituitary patients on the difficult path from diagnosis to treatment and rest-of-life care.

Working as an advocate on the behalf of pituitary patients, Mr. Knutzen has garnered the support and respect of top medical professionals who recognize the importance of raising pituitary awareness. This coalition between the medical and patient communities has achieved a remarkable level of success in educational endeavors.

Mr. Knutzen's unrelenting pursuit of public awareness has led him to get involved in a number of ways. By publishing, editing, and contributing articles to the PNA's Network magazine and Highlights e-newsletter, Mr. Knutzen has managed to keep pituitary issues in the spotlight. He also co-edited an issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics; Emotional Aspects of Pituitary Disease and has contributed entries to "Comprehensive Clinical Endocrinology" and others. His many speaking engagements at the world's top universities and institutions in pituitary education and patient care include: The National Institutes of Health, The University of California at Los Angeles, The University of Pennsylvania, The University of San Francisco, The University of Erlangen (Germany), Westmeade Hospital (Australia) and The Meeting of Pediatric Endocrinologists (Switzerland). In addition, Mr. Knutzen arranged for the American Medical Association to co-sponsor a one-day press briefing with the PNA in 2003 to raise awareness of hormonal issues. He is best known for creating and publishing the Pituitary Patient Resource Guide and the PNA's highly respected web site, http://www.pituitary.org.

In 2004, Knutzen organized the Family Hormonal Health Symposium, with the National Institutes of Health and Department of Defense. The Symposium was web cast world-wide. Knutzen received his Masters of Business Administration at Pepperdine University in 1984 and did his undergraduate work at UCLA and Santa Monica College. Mr. Knutzen has been married for 27 years and has four children.

Paula Gallegos has been a California licensed Insurance agent/broker since 1988. She was first licensed with Farmers Insurance Group of Companies to provide personal , commercial, and life insurance coverage to her clients. Her agency is a full-service agency.

EDUCATION

State of California Insurance Licensed, 1988-Present
American Institute of Business, Des Moines, IA, 1969; GPA 4.0
Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 1968

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

* TO Network, a local business Networking group - 1995 to Present;
Served two terms as Asst. Director; one term as Director; two terms as Recorder
* United Farmers Agents Assn. Chapter 4 -1994 to Present
Current Treasurer
* Thousand Oaks Chamber of Commerce – member since 2001
* National Notary Assn., Notary Public – since 2003

Dr. Blevins' main clinical interests are in the evaluation and management of patients with various disorders of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus. He has particular expertise with regards to Cushing's syndrome and has edited a book on the subject. He also has extensive experience in treating patients with acromegaly, prolactinoma's, other pituitary tumors, diabetes insipidus, and hypopituitarism. He has extensive experience in the management of patients with growth hormone deficiency. Dr. Blevins is medical director of the California Center for Pituitary Disorders at UCSF.

His current research interests involve diagnostic testing in patients with hypercortisolism. He is currently evaluating new ways to test for the presence of Cushing's syndrome. He is also interested in clinical predictors of surgical and medical success with regards to the management of patients with different types of pituitary tumors. Some of this work involves collaboration with neuropathologists at UCSF. Dr. Blevins is also involved with industry sponsored trials to evaluate new pharmacologic therapies for patients with pituitary tumors.

Dr. Blevins is also a skilled and accomplished painter. Dr. Blevins’ art work can be viewed/purchased via his website: www.CApaintings.com.

Christina Bourne holds both a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Music Education. She teaches general music and band for the Carson City School District and was named Carson City School District Teacher of the Year 2009 and the Carson City Rotary Teacher of the Year 2010.

Christina was also Miss Nevada 2003 and competed in the Miss America Pageant. She volunteers her time for organizations aimed at bettering the lives of others through education, and she was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award by President George W. Bush in 2003 for her efforts.

In 2005, Christina was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor. For nearly two years she struggled to find a doctor to help her. She found the PNA website and within months was able to get the medical attention she desperately needed. Thanks to the PNA she is now able to live an active and healthy life with her wonderful husband and beautiful son.

Dr. Prevedello’s specialty is minimally invasive endoscopic surgery for brain tumors, skull base, and pituitary disorders. He received his medical degree and completed his residency in neurological surgery in Brazil. Dr. Prevedello completed a clinical fellowship in neuroendocrine and pituitary surgery at the University of Virginia and also completed a clinical fellowship in skull base and cerebrovascular surgery at University of Pittsburgh, where he became faculty and helped to pioneer the field of endoscopic endonasal skull base and brain surgery. Recently, Dr. Prevedello joined Ohio State University as the director of the minimally invasive cranial surgery program.

Dr. Prevedello research interests include developing less invasive approaches to the brain and skull base in order to obtain the best surgical tumor resection possible with minimal disruption of normal tissue.

Dr. Prevedello is studying the impact of extracapsular (en-block) resection of pituitary adenomas, particularly for functional tumors (Acromegaly, Cushing’s disease and prolactinomas). He believes that for these tumors, the assurance of complete resection has a major impact in disease control and recurrence prevention. Dr. Prevedello also performs endonasal resections of other benign tumors (meningiomas, craniopharyngiomas and Rathke cleft cysts) and malignant tumors (chordomas, chondrosarcomas, esthesioneuroblastomas, sinonasal cancers etc).

Dr. Prevedello is a member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the Brazilian Society of Neurosurgery, the Latin American Federation of Societies of Neurological Surgery, and the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies. He has published numerous academic articles on endoscopic surgeries to skull base and brain.