Courtney A McKnight

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Clinical Associate Professor of Epidemiology

Dr. Courtney McKnight is a Principal Investigator specializing in mixed methods research focused on the epidemiology of drug use, opioid overdose, HIV and HCV infection. Dr. McKnight has over 20 years of experience conducting public health research related to drug use, as well as field experience as a harm reduction service provider.

Prior to joining NYU, Dr. McKnight served as the assistant director of research at the Chemical Dependency Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she was an investigator and project director on numerous federally funded research studies, including evaluations of syringe services programs; investigations of the drivers that contribute to disparate rates of HIV and HCV; and interventions to increase access to HIV and HCV testing and care.

Previous to Dr. McKnight’s work in research, she directed a harm reduction program for women who use drugs and volunteered at a syringe services program in New Jersey.

Dr. McKnight received her DrPH from the City University of New York Graduate Center, her Master of Public Health from Hunter College, and her Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Rutgers University. Her dissertation examined the impact of Medicaid coverage of methadone and buprenorphine on treatment access for opioid dependent beneficiaries.

Dr. McKnight’s current research interests include examining the shifting landscape of illicit opioids, including the increasing prevalence of illicitly manufactured fentanyl, and risk environments of people who use drugs.

Education

BA, Women's Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

MPH, Community Health Education, Hunter College, New York, NY

DrPH, The City University of New York, New York, NY

Areas of research and study

Behavioral Science

Drug addiction

Epidemiology

Harm reduction

Hepatitis

HIV/AIDS

Infectious Diseases

Mixed-Methods Research

Opioid

Qualitative Research

Social epidemiology

Substance Abuse

Publications

Effectiveness of respondent-driven sampling for recruiting drug users in New York City : Findings from a pilot study

Respondent-driven sampling in a study of drug users in New York City : Notes from the field

Update : Syringe exchange programs - United States, 2002

What's community got to do with it? Implementation models of syringe exchange programs

Downing, M., Riess, T. H., Vernon, K., Mulia, N., Hollinquest, M., McKnight, C. A., Des Jarlais, D. C., & Edlin, B. R. (n.d.).

Publication year

2005

Journal title

AIDS Education and Prevention

Volume

Issue

Page(s)

68-78

10.1521/aeap.17.1.68.58688

Abstract

Abstract

Syringe exchange programs (SEPs) have been shown to be highly effective in reducing HIV transmission among injection drug users (IDUs). Despite this evidence, SEPs have not been implemented in many communities experiencing HIV epidemics among IDUs. We interviewed 17 key informants in nine U.S. cities to identify factors and conditions that facilitated or deterred the adoption of SEPs. Cities were selected to represent diversity in size, geographic location, AIDS incidence rates, and SEP implementation. Key informants included HIV prevention providers, political leaders, community activists, substance use and AIDS researchers, and health department directors. SEPs were established by one or more of three types of implementation models: (a) broad community coalition support, (b) community activist initiative, and (c) top-down decision making by government authorities. In each model, coalition building and community consultation were critical steps for the acceptance and sustainability of SEPs. When others were not prepared to act, community activists spearheaded SEP development, taking risks in the face of opposition, but often lacked the resources to sustain their efforts. Leadership from politicians and public health officials provided needed authority, clout, and access to resources. Researchers and scientific findings lent force and legitimacy to the effort. Rather than adopting adversarial positions, successful SEP implementers worked with or avoided the opposition. Fear of repercussions and lack of leadership were the greatest barriers to implementing SEPs. Communities that successfully implemented SEPs were those with activists willing to push the agenda, public officials willing to exercise leadership, researchers able to present authoritative findings, and proponents who effectively mobilized resources and worked to build community coalitions, using persistent but nonadversarial advocacy.