Jennifer Knight

Dr. Jennifer Knight is a Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), with joint affiliation in Microbiology & Immunology. She is the Medical Director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Froedtert Hospital and a Clinical Member of the MCW Cancer Center. Her research focuses on biobehavioral mechanisms linking psychosocial factors to clinical outcomes in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) and CAR T-cell therapy recipients, with an emphasis on social determinants of health and interventions like propranolol to mitigate disparities.

Dr. Knight completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, medical training at MCW, residency in Internal Medicine/Psychiatry at Rush University, and a postdoctoral fellowship in psychoneuroimmunology at the University of Rochester. She is double board-certified in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry and holds Fellowships in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (FACLP) and Behavioral Medicine Research.

Her research program investigates how socioeconomic status (SES), stress, and immune function influence HCT outcomes. Key projects include examining donor SES effects on recipients, propranolol's impact on gene expression, and biobehavioral implications of CAR T-cell therapy. Her work has been funded by the NIH, American Cancer Society, and philanthropic grants.

Dr. Knight has received prestigious awards, including the Dlin-Fischer Clinical Research Award (2023) and Young Scholar Award (2011). She leads the Knight Biobehavioral Oncology Lab and collaborates with organizations like the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Her clinical expertise includes psycho-oncology consultation and managing psychosocial challenges in cancer patients.