The UNC Women’s Reproductive Health Research (WRHR) Career Development Program is pleased to announce that Andrea Knittel, MD, PhD, FACOG, has been appointed as a WRHR Scholar effective December 1, 2020.
Dr. Knittel completed her research fellowship in the Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2018 and was subsequently appointed Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medical Director for Incarcerated Women’s Health. Her clinical practice within the state prison and at UNC includes office gynecology, gynecologic surgery, prenatal care, and labor and delivery. Dr. Knittel’s research and clinical work have a special focus on reproductive transitions for women involved in the criminal justice system. Her recent article on HIV risk and incarceration, “Incarceration and number of sexual partners after incarceration among vulnerable US women, 2007-2017,” published in the American Journal of Public Health, is available here.
Dr. Knittel’s work as a WRHR Scholar will continue to focus on the health of women involved with the criminal justice system, with research activities exploring HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis for women who have experienced incarceration, medications for opioid use disorder for women who experience incarceration during pregnancy, and the effects of incarceration and substance use on menopause symptoms and treatment. This research builds on projects supported by the UNC Center for AIDS Research, the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute, and the Cefalo Bowes Young Researcher Award. Drs. Lisa Rahangdale and Ada Adimora will serve as Dr. Knittel’s co-primary mentors, providing scientific and professional guidance during this important stage of her academic career.
In July 2020, UNC was one of 15 universities selected to participate in the nationwide WRHR program. The primary goal of the parent program is to provide OB/ junior faculty with state-of-the-art training in women’s reproductive health research in an academic setting and further develop the pipeline of independently funded OB/GYN clinician-scientists. Scholars received 75% protected time to carry out their proposed work, along with seeding funding for research and professional development. Learn more about the WRHR Program.