Paul Mark Knopf Ph.D.

1936 - 2017

KNOPF, PhD., PAUL MARK
passed away on January 31, 2017, from complications of Parkinson's disease. Paul is survived by his wife of 58 years, Carol Lois Harrison Knopf. Other surviving family members include the couple's three children, Jeffrey Knopf (and his partner Christina Milburn), Steven Knopf (and his wife Jennifer), daughter Rachel Yakubik (and her husband Gary Yakubik) and three beloved grandsons, Jakob Yakubik, Andrew Knopf, and Cameron Knopf. One of five children, Paul has three surviving siblings: a brother, Harry Knopf and two sisters, Ellen Sue Jacobson and Rosie Wiener. He is predeceased by a third sister, Phyllis Kourland.
Born in Trenton, NJ, Paul received his B.Sc. from MIT in Physics in 1958 and his doctorate in Biophysics in 1962. While completing his Ph.D., he co-authored (1963) and had published "A multiple ribosomal structure in protein synthesis" in Proceedings, National Academy Science, USA. The article was named by ISI Science Citation Index as one of the 500 most cited references in his field.
Dr. Knopf did a post-doctoral fellowship in Cambridge, England, at the Medical Research Council, working under Dr. Francis Crick, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA. Upon returning to the U.S., he went to work at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA. While there, he became interested in parasitic diseases and spent the rest of his research career focused on seeking a treatment for schistosomiasis, a disease that is widespread in tropical countries. After several years at the Salk Institute, Paul found his passion while working with students. So in 1972, he joined the faculty at Brown University, doing what he loved best—teaching. He ultimately became a full professor, and among his many honors, in 1992 he was named the first "Charles A. and Helen B. Stuart Professor of Medical Science" Chair. In 1998 he was honored as "Teacher of the Year" (Life Sciences, Brown University) for teaching undergraduate courses in Immunology. After his retirement in 2003, he remained active in science and consulted for EpiVax and the Progeria Research Foundation, among others.
Paul loved traveling and was fortunate to be able to visit, and sometimes live and work in London, Berlin, Rome, Cairo and Melbourne. He enjoyed doing puzzles and playing bridge. He was an avid baseball fan and closely followed the career of Willie Mays from his days as a minor league player for the Trenton Giants.
Paul Knopf was loved with great affection by all of his family members, his and Carol's many friends, and by the hundreds of students that he taught.
Services will be held Monday, February 6th at 11AM at Temple Habonim, Barrington, RI. Burial will immediately follow at Forest Chapel Cemetery, Nayatt Road, Barrington, RI.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Paul's memory to Temple Habonim, 165 New Meadow Road, Barrington, RI 02806; to the American Parkinson Disease Association, RI Chapter, via their website riapda.org or to the Progeria Research Foundation via their website, progeriaresearch.org. Shiva will be held at his late residence, Monday at 7PM. For information and condolences, www.SugarmanSinai.com