Staff Profile

Dr. Knudsen, a Senior Scientist at the MGH Institute for Technology Assessment and an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, has expertise in decision science. Her research focus is on development and application of data analytics and simulation models to address important questions pertaining to cancer prevention and opioid misuse reduction. Recognized nationally for her leadership in decision science and colorectal cancer screening, Dr. Knudsen's research has significantly influenced national colorectal cancer screening policies. This includes contributions to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ National Coverage Determinations for colorectal cancer screening tests and the screening recommendations of both the US Preventive Services Task Force and the American Cancer Society.

Notably, Dr. Knudsen developed one of the three colorectal cancer models funded by the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET), a consortium of independent research teams focused on evaluating cancer-control policies.

Dr. Knudsen received a BS with Distinction in policy analysis from Cornell University and a PhD in Health Policy from Harvard University. While at Harvard, Amy was the recipient of a Cancer Prevention Training Grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and a Dissertation Completion Fellowship from Harvard University. She completed a NCI-funded post-doctoral fellowship in the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Program in Cancer Outcomes Research Training (PCORT). She has worked for health-economics consulting firms where she developed decision-analytic models to assess the lifetime health and economic consequences of obesity and the benefits of weight loss.

Dr. Knudsen’s career goal is to improve cancer outcomes by identifying the most effective and cost-effective options for prevention, screening, and treatment. Her research focuses on the use of disease simulation models to inform cancer control policies. Her work to date has focused on colorectal cancer, the second most common cause of cancer death in the US. She developed and programmed a computer model, SimCRC, that simulates the natural history of colorectal cancer among the US population over time and incorporates the effects of prevention, screening, and treatment interventions. SimCRC has been used to inform both state- and national screening coverage decisions and guidelines. Dr. Knudsen’s research aims to evaluate how existing and emerging screening methodologies can best be used to minimize the burden of colorectal cancer.

Selected Publications

Peters, Mary Linton B; Eckel, Andrew; Seguin, Claudia L; Davidi, Barak; Howard, David H; Knudsen, Amy B; Pandharipande, Pari V

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Screening for Pancreatic Cancer Among High-Risk Populations Journal Article

In: JCO Oncol Pract, vol. 20, iss. 2, pp. 278-290, 2024, ISSN: 2688-1535.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Knudsen, Amy B; Trentham-Dietz, Amy; Kim, Jane J; Mandelblatt, Jeanne S; Meza, Rafael; Zauber, Ann G; Castle, Philip E; Feuer, Eric J

Estimated US Cancer Deaths Prevented With Increased Use of Lung, Colorectal, Breast, and Cervical Cancer Screening Journal Article

In: JAMA Netw Open, vol. 6, no. 11, pp. e2344698, 2023, ISSN: 2574-3805.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

van den Berg, Danica M N; de Lima, Pedro Nascimento; Knudsen, Amy B; Rutter, Carolyn M; Weinberg, David; and, Iris Lansdorp-Vogelaar

NordICC Trial Results in Line With Expected Colorectal Cancer Mortality Reduction After Colonoscopy: A Modeling Study Journal Article

In: Gastroenterology, vol. 165, no. 4, pp. 1077–1079.e2, 2023, ISSN: 1528-0012.

Links | BibTeX

Seguin, Claudia L; Davidi, Barak; Peters, Mary Linton B; Eckel, Andrew; Harisinghani, Mukesh G; Goiffon, Reece J; Knudsen, Amy B; Pandharipande, Pari V

Ultrasound Surveillance of Small, Incidentally Detected Gallbladder Polyps: Projected Benefits by Sex, Age, and Comorbidity Level Journal Article

In: J Am Coll Radiol, vol. 20, no. 10, pp. 1031-1041, 2023, ISSN: 1558-349X.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

van den Berg, Danica M N; de Lima, Pedro Nascimento; Knudsen, Amy B; Rutter, Carolyn M; Weinberg, David; and, Iris Lansdorp-Vogelaar

NordICC trial results in line with expected colorectal cancer mortality reduction after colonoscopy: a modelling study Journal Article

In: Gastroenterology, 2023, ISSN: 1528-0012.

Links | BibTeX

Zauber, Ann G; Winawer, Sidney J; O'Brien, Michael J; Mills, Glenn M; Allen, John I; Feld, Andrew D; Jordan, Paul A; Fleisher, Martin; Orlow, Irene; Meester, Reinier G S; Lansdorp-Vogelaar, Iris; Rutter, Carolyn M; Knudsen, Amy B; Mandelson, Margaret; Shaukat, Aasma; Mendelsohn, Robin B; Hahn, Anne I; Lobaugh, Stephanie M; Palmer, Brittany Soto; Serrano, Victoria; Kumar, Julie R; Fischer, Sara E; Chen, Jennifer C; Bayuga-Miller, Sharon; Kuk, Deborah; O'Connell, Kelli; Church, Timothy R

Randomized Trial of Facilitated Adherence to Screening Colonoscopy vs Sequential Fecal-Based Blood Test Journal Article

In: Gastroenterology, vol. 165, iss. 1, pp. 252-266, 2023, ISSN: 1528-0012.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Seguin, Claudia L; Davidi, Barak; Peters, Mary Linton B; Eckel, Andrew; Harisinghani, Mukesh G; Goiffon, Reece J; Knudsen, Amy B; Pandharipande, Pari V

Ultrasound Surveillance of Small Incidentally Detected Gallbladder Polyps: Projected Benefits by Sex, Age, and Comorbidity Level Journal Article

In: J Am Coll Radiol, vol. S1546-1440, iss. 23, pp. 00475-1, 2023, ISSN: 1558-349X.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Chhatwal, Jagpreet; Mueller, Peter P; Chen, Qiushi; Kulkarni, Neeti; Adee, Madeline; Zarkin, Gary; LaRochelle, Marc R; Knudsen, Amy B; Barbosa, Carolina

Estimated Reductions in Opioid Overdose Deaths With Sustainment of Public Health Interventions in 4 US States Journal Article

In: JAMA Netw Open, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. e2314925, 2023, ISSN: 2574-3805.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Alarid-Escudero, Fernando; Knudsen, Amy B; Ozik, Jonathan; Collier, Nicholson; Kuntz, Karen M

Characterization and Valuation of the Uncertainty of Calibrated Parameters in Microsimulation Decision Models Journal Article

In: Front Physiol, vol. 13, pp. 780917, 2022, ISSN: 1664-042X.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

Knudsen, Amy; Rutter, Carolyn M; Meester, Reinier G S; Lansdorp-Vogelaar, Iris; Zauber, Ann G; Kuntz, Karen M

Colorectal Cancer Screening in Young Adults. Journal Article

In: Annals of internal medicine, vol. 174, no. 7, pp. 1039–1040, 2021, ISSN: 1539-3704, ().

Links | BibTeX