Charles A. Knirsch, MD, MPH
Co-Founder, Director of Parasites Without Borders

Charles (Chuck) Knirsch, MD, MPH is an Infectious Diseases physician and epidemiologist who works as a scientific consultant to both the public and private sectors. Dr. Knirsch is a co-founder of Parasites Without Borders and is a member and rotating Chair of the Special Emphasis Study Review section panel at the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Dr. Knirsch worked at Pfizer Inc. until February 2023 in a variety of roles over two decades, including: Chief Development Officer of Infectious Diseases; Head of Specialty Clinical Research and Development; and Medical Lead Emerging Markets, Global Access Programs. Dr. Knirsch has worked on several pro-competitive initiatives including The Innovative Medicines Initiative, The Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative, The Foundation of NIH and has been an ex officio member of the trachoma expert committee since 1998. He has published on topics in infectious diseases, vaccines, transforming the clinical trial ecosystem and is co-author of the 4th through 8th Editions of the textbook, Parasitic Diseases. Dr. Knirsch received his undergraduate and medical degree from McGill University, an MPH from Columbia University and a DTM&H from The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.