Holling Kniffin is a Clinical Trials Research Associate at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center within the University of Iowa Health Care, where he supports hematology and oncology clinical trials with a focus on cellular therapies and innovative cancer treatments.  

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology from Illinois State University as well as an MBA and Master of Science in Drug Discovery and Experimental Therapeutics from the University of Iowa. Holling is currently pursuing his Master of Finance at the University of Iowa with interests in healthcare innovation, strategy, and organizational improvement. Holling is also a ’26 graduate of the University of Iowa’s Innovation Leadership Fellowship program. 

Outside of work and academics, he enjoys baking, fitness, investing and financial markets, golf, travel, and exploring new technology and business ideas and most of all, gardening.  

Through Staff Council, he hopes to support initiatives that strengthen employee engagement, collaboration, and the overall university community. He also welcomes conversations and feedback from anyone across campus and is always happy to connect, answer questions, or hear new ideas. 

One of the reasons Holling wanted to become involved with Staff Council was to help represent and give a stronger voice to younger employees across the university. As an early-career professional balancing work, graduate education, and professional development, he hopes to bring perspective on the priorities, challenges, and ideas of newer members of the workforce while helping foster collaboration across employees at all career stages.