Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD

Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD is the Chief Executive Officer of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI). A globally recognized cancer scientist and executive leader, she brings deep expertise in healthcare innovation, strategic partnerships and organizational growth. At PICI, she is driving efforts to advance bold science, catalyze cross-institutional partnerships and accelerate breakthrough therapies, with the mission of turning all cancers into curable diseases.

Under Dr. Knudsen’s leadership, PICI is expanding its collaborative model—empowering cross-disciplinary teams to pursue novel therapeutic strategies and bring immune-based treatments to patients faster. With more than 100 active studies spanning clinical trials, preclinical discoveries, and emerging technologies, PICI is reshaping the future of cancer care. In the past year alone, PICI-funded research produced over 50 high-impact publications and drove major advancements in combination immunotherapy, pediatric cancer treatment, and cell-based gene therapies.

Most recently, Dr. Knudsen served as CEO of the American Cancer Society (ACS) and its advocacy affiliate ACS CAN, where she led the organization through a period of transformative growth, expanding revenue, research investment, patient support and advocacy impact.

A translational scientist by training, Dr. Knudsen is known for discoveries in advanced prostate cancer that changed understanding and clinical approaches to the disease. She previously served as the Hilary Koprowski Endowed Professor and Chair of Cancer Biology at Thomas Jefferson University and as Enterprise Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated center of excellence. As Executive Vice President of Oncology Services at Jefferson Health, she expanded oncology services across a 16-hospital system.

Dr. Knudsen has held national leadership roles in oncology, including service on the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors, as President of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) and on the Board of Directors of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Her contributions have been recognized by the Endocrine Society, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the American Society for Clinical Oncology, and she has been named a CNBC Changemaker and one of Forbes’ 50 Over 50 in Impact.

She is Professor Emerita at Thomas Jefferson University and the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. She currently serves as an Independent Director of ExaiBio and Paradigm Health, on the board of Research!America and as a Board Advisor for ArteraAI and Transcarent.

Dr. Knudsen holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the George Washington University, a PhD in biological sciences from the University of California San Diego and an MBA from Temple University Fox School of Business.