Prof. Dr. Stefanie Knopp

Stefanie Knopp is a Parasitologist and Senior Scientific Project Leader at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute. At the University of Basel, she is adjunct Professor of Epidemiology. Her primary interesst are the control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), mostly affecting vulnerable population groups in the global South. Her main areas of research concern the epidemiology, control and diagnosis of parasitic worm infections in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Assisting and leading research projects in Africa since 1999, Stefanie has vast experience of working with local research and field teams, project managers and international stakeholders and in implementing large-scale projects, including multidisciplinary operational research studies and randomized clinical trials. As an implementation scientist, aiming to improve interventions for the control and elimination of NTDs, she closely collaborates with local Ministries of Health and supports and advises NTD control programmers in the implementation of mass drug administrations, vector control and behaviour change interventions.

Stefanie’s transdisciplinary research projects focus on novel tools and intervention strategies for schistosomiasis elimination (ZEST and SchistoBreak) and on potential praziquantel resistance development and its impact on elimination (RESIST).

Stefanie has published more than 90 papers in the international peer-reviewed literature and regularly attends and organizes scientific conferences and expert meetings. Her teaching activities include regular lectures for BSc, MSc and PhD students at the University of Basel, lectures in postgraduate courses at Swiss TPH, as well as invited trainings and courses at multiple national and international institutions.

Qualifications

2025: Adjunct Professorship (Professor in Epidemiology); University of Basel, Switzerland

2021: Assistant Professorship; University of Basel, Switzerland

2010: PhD in Epidemiology; University of Basel, Switzerland

2005: MSc in Biology (subjects: Parasitology, Microbiology and Medical Virology); University of Tübingen, Germany

Positions

2025-present: Senior Scientific Project Leader; Swiss TPH, Basel, Switzerland

2021-2025: Research Group Leader: Helminth Interventions Group; Swiss TPH, Basel, Switzerland

2017-2021: Scientific Project Leader; Swiss TPH, Basel, Switzerland

2013-2016: Postdoctoral Scientist; Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom

2011-2012: Postdoctoral Scientist; Swiss TPH, Basel, Switzerland

2007-2010: PhD Student; Swiss TPH, Basel, Switzerland

Ndum N.C, Trippler L, Mohammed U.A, Ali M.N, Hattendorf J, Ame S.M, Kabole F, Utzinger J, Ali S.M, Knopp S. Effect of behavioral interventions on schistosomiasis-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices of schoolchildren in Pemba, Tanzania: a 4-year repeated cross-sectional study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2025;19(9):e0013462. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0013462

Trippler L, Ali S.M, Ali M.N, Mohammed U.A, Suleiman K.R, Ndum N.C, Juma S, Ame S.M, Kabole F, Hattendorf J, Knopp S. Adaptive integrated intervention approaches for schistosomiasis elimination in Pemba: a 4-year intervention study and focus on hotspots. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2025;19(6):e0013079. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0013079

Trippler L, Ali S.M, Masoud M.O, Mohammed Z.H, Amour A.K, Suleiman K.R, Ame S.M, Kabole F, Hattendorf J, Knopp S. Impact of chemical snail control on intermediate host snail populations for urogenital schistosomiasis elimination in Pemba, Tanzania: findings of a 3-year intervention study. Parasit Vectors. 2024;17:489. DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06565-2

Trippler L, Taylor L, Ali M.N, Najim S.O, Khamis K.S, Hattendorf J, Juma S, Ame S.M, Kabole F, Ali S.M, Knopp S. Test-treat-track-test-treat (5T) approach for Schistosoma haematobium elimination on Pemba Island, Tanzania. BMC Infect Dis. 2024;24:661. DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09549-w

Trippler L, Ame S.M, Hattendorf J, Juma S, Abubakar S, Ali S.M, Kabole F, Rollinson D, Knopp S. Impact of seven years of mass drug administration and recrudescence of Schistosoma haematobium infections after one year of treatment gap in Zanzibar: repeated cross-sectional studies. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2021;15(2):e0009127. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009127

Knopp S, Ame S.M, Person B, Hattendorf J, Rabone M, Juma S, Muhsin J, Khamis I.S, Hollenberg E, Mohammed K.A, Kabole F, Ali S.M, Rollinson D. A 5-year intervention study on elimination of urogenital schistosomiasis in Zanzibar: parasitological results of annual cross-sectional surveys. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2019;13(5):e0007268. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007268

Knopp S, Person B, Ame S.M, Ali S.M, Hattendorf J, Juma S, Muhsin J, Khamis I.S, Mohammed K.A, Utzinger J, Hollenberg E, Kabole F, Rollinson D. Evaluation of integrated interventions layered on mass drug administration for urogenital schistosomiasis elimination: a cluster-randomised trial. Lancet Glob Health. 2019;7(8):e1118-e1129. DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(19)30189-5

Person B, Knopp S, Ali S.M, A'Kadir F M, Khamis A.N, Ali J.N, Lymo J.H, Mohammed K.A, Rollinson D. Community co-designed schistosomiasis control interventions for school-aged children in Zanzibar. J Biosoc Sci. 2016;48(Suppl 1):S56-S73. DOI: 10.1017/S0021932016000067

Utzinger J, Becker S.L, van Lieshout L, van Dam G.J, Knopp S. New diagnostic tools in schistosomiasis. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2015;21(6):529-542. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2015.03.014.

Knopp S, Mohammed K.A, Speich B, Hattendorf J, Khamis I.S, Khamis A.N, Stothard J.R, Rollinson D, Marti H, Utzinger J. Albendazole and mebendazole administered alone or in combination with Ivermectin against Trichuris trichiura: a randomized controlled trial. Clin Infect Dis. 2010;51(12):1420-1428. DOI: 10.1086/657310