Andrea Knittel, MD PhD

Adjunct Faculty
Department of Health Behavior
Medical Director for Carceral Obstetrics and Gynecology
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UNC School of Medicine
Fellowship Director
General Obstetrics and Gynecology Research Fellowship, Division of General Obstetrics, Gynecology and Midwifery, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UNC School of Medicine
Associate Professor
Division of General Obstetrics, Gynecology and Midwifery, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UNC School of Medicine

About

Andrea Knittel is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology with tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Knittel is a clinician and researcher focused on illuminating and mitigating the obstetric and gynecologic disparities facing people who experience incarceration across the life course.

Honors and Awards

Golden Tarheel Award (Medical Student Teaching Award)
2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, UNC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

John and Joe Carol Thorp Big Heart Award
2021, UNC Horizons (Leadership/Advocacy Award)

James W. Woods Junior Faculty Award
2020, UNC School of Medicine (Scholarly Promise Award)

Research Activities

Management of substance use disorders in pregnancy in carceral settings
Intersections of menopause, incarceration, and substance use disorders
Postpartum contraception after births during incarceration

Practice Activities

As a clinician, Dr. Knittel provides full spectrum OB/GYN care to women, trans men, and gender expansive people assigned female at intake in the North Carolina state prison system and as part of the UNC Division of General Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Midwifery. She sees patients for prenatal care, outpatient management of gynecologic conditions, inpatient obstetrics, and gynecologic surgery.

Key Publications

Jenna’s Project: Preventing Overdose and Improving Recovery Outcomes For Women Leaving Incarcerated Settings during Pregnancy and Postpartum Periods. Hairston E, Jones HE, Johnson E, Alexander J, Andringa KR, O’Grady KE, Knittel AK.  (2024). Journal of Addiction Medicine.
View publication

Substance use and menopausal symptoms among people with and without HIV in the US, 2008-2020. Knittel AK, Bullington BW, Edmonds A, Rahangdale L, Neal-Perry G, Ramirez C, Konkle-Parker D, Jones DL, Moran CA, Topper EF, Cejtin H, Seidman D, Kassaye SG, Wilson TE, Sharma A, Adimora AA.  (2024). Menopause.
View publication

Fractured and delayed: A qualitative analysis of disruptions in care for gynecologic malignancies during incarceration. Burkett WC, Iwai Y, Gehrig PA, Knittel AK#  (2023). Gynecologic Oncology, 176.
View publication

Medications for opioid use disorder during pregnancy: Access and continuity in a state women’s prison facility, 2016-2019. Knittel AK, Swartzwelder RA‡, Zarnick S‡, Moraes Tsujimoto T, Horne T, Lin FC, Edwards J, Amos E, Alexander J, Thorp J, Jones HE. (2022). Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 232.
View publication

Incarceration and number of sexual partners after incarceration among vulnerable US women, 2007-2017. Knittel AK, Shook-Sa BE, Rudolph JE, Edmonds A, Ramirez C, Cohen M, Adedimeji A, Taylor T, Michel KG, Milam J, Cohen J, Donohue J, Foster A, Fischl M, Konkle-Parker D, Adimora AA. (2020). American Journal of Public Health, 110(S1), S100-S108.
View publication

Education

  • MD, , University of Michigan, 2013
  • PhD, Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, 2013