Olufunmilayo 'Funmi' Knutson

Olufunmilayo 'Funmi' Knutson serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at the Morrison Family College of Health, University of St. Thomas, teaching core public health courses including Emerging Diseases, Global Health, and Epidemiology.

Her educational credentials include:

• PhD in Epidemiology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health
• MPH in Epidemiology from University of Minnesota School of Public Health
• BS from Butler University

Dr. Knutson's research integrates environmental, perinatal, and infectious disease epidemiology with a specific focus on air pollution's impact on birth outcomes and disease transmission. She employs advanced statistical analysis and data science methodologies to address health disparities across vulnerable populations, particularly examining socioeconomic and ecological determinants of maternal-child health.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Faculty fellowship with the Luann Dummer Center for Women (2025)

Dr. Knutson actively mentors undergraduate researchers and has guided numerous students to secure competitive faculty-mentored research grants. She has received multiple internal university grants supporting curriculum innovation in epidemiology education and her environmental health research initiatives.

She contributes to the university's Sports Science Institute, collaborating on interdisciplinary projects examining exercise physiology's role in mitigating environmental health risks.