Dr Rebecca Nightingale

Clinical Lecturer

Becky is a consultant respiratory physiotherapist and clinical researcher.

Becky qualified from Southampton University 2004, working at Southampton University Hospital trust and becoming a senior respiratory physiotherapist specializing in NIV and chronic lung diseases.
Becky moved to Kenya in 2010 and worked to develop a small health centre into a 100 bedded hospital, acting as CEO for 3 years before handing over to a Kenyan team. She has particular interest in health systems in East Africa and improving acute respiratory care in this environment. Becky completed an MSc in Global Health at University Collage London, focusing on adherence to antibiotic treatment for under-5 with pneumonia. Becky went on to completed an Mres in clinical sciences at the University of Liverpool and finished an MRC-DTP PhD here at LSTM in 2021. Her PhD focused on lung health in complex populations: herion users in the UK and people who had completed treatment for TB in Malawi. Becky has non-medical prescriber qualification from edge hill university.

Becky areas of research include post-TB lung disease where she has played a key role in development the first international clinical statement on post-TB lung disease and reporting the long terms of post-TB in Malawi. She is key member of the International post-TB symposium steering committee. Becky is also interested in long covid and those with complex chronic long conditions. Becky published extensively on the role of CPAP in covid as well as worked clinical to run the Covid out of critical care CPAP service.

Teaching

DTMH
Clinical Tropical Medicine Masters respiratory teaching and
Lead of Evidence to clinical practice module
Teach on quality improvement module

Memberships, awards

HCPC membership
CSP memberships
Non-medical prescriber
ATPR Spirometry registered
ADAPT Chartered Physiotherapists in International Health and development
Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care

2021: HRH Prince of Wales award for upskilling nurses and AHP’s during COVID (I was lead AHP, it was team award)
2015: Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Distinguished Service Award

Recent publications: 

    Selected publications

    • Nightingale, R, Colbourn, T, Mukanga, D, Mankhambo, l, Lufesi, N, Mccollum, E. D & King, C. 2016. Non-adherence to community oral-antibiotic treatment in children with fastbreathing pneumonia in Malawi–secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study. Pneumonia, 8, 21.

      King C, Nightingale R, Phiri T, Zadutsa B, Kainja E, Makwenda C, Colbourn T, Stevenson F. Non-adherence to oral antibiotics for community paediatric pneumonia treatment in Malawi–A qualitative investigation. PloS one. 2018;13(10):e0206404

      Nightingale R, Lesosky M, Flitz G, Rylance SJ, Meghji J, Burney P, Balmes J, Mortimer K. Noncommunicable Respiratory Disease and Air Pollution Exposure in Malawi (CAPS). A Cross-Sectional Study. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine. 2019;199(5):613-21.

      Rylance S, Nightingale R, Naunje A, Mbalume F, Jewell C, Balmes JR, et al. Lung health and exposure to air pollution in Malawian children (CAPS): a cross-sectional study. Thorax. 2019:thoraxjnl-2018-212945.

      Rylance S, Jewell C, Naunje A, Mbalume F, Chetwood JD, Nightingale R, et al. Non-communicable respiratory disease and air pollution exposure in Malawi: a prospective cohort study. Thorax. 2020;75(3):220-6.

      Nightingale R, Mortimer K, Giorgi E, Walker P, Stolbrink M, Byrne T, et al. Screening heroin smokers attending community drug clinics for change in lung function: a cohort study. Chest. 2020;157(3):558-65.

      Nightingale R, Griffiths P, Mortimer K, Walker P, Byrne T, Marwood K, et al. Exploring perspectives on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in people who smoke heroin: a qualitative study. BJGP open. 2020.

      Nightingale R, Nwosu N, Kutubudin F, Fletcher T, Lewis J, Frost F, et al. Is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) a new standard of care for type 1 respiratory failure in COVID-19 patients? A retrospective observational study of a dedicated COVID-19 CPAP service. BMJ Open Respiratory Research. 2020;7(1):e000639.

      Nightingale R, Jary H,Meghji J, Rylance S, Masiye J,Chiumia H,Rylance J, Mortimer K, Lesosky M. Non-communicable respiratory disease in Malawi: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Malawi Medical Journal. 2020;32(2):64-73.

      Robinson R, Nightingale R, Frost F, Green T, Jones G, Nwosu N, et al. The rapid development and deployment of a new multidisciplinary CPAP service outside of a critical care environment during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Future Healthc J. 2021;8(1):e156-e9.

      Nightingale R, Lewis J, Monsell KR, Jones L, Smith C, Kundu S, et al. CPAP delivered outside critical care during the second wave of COVID-19: outcomes from a UK respiratory surge unit. BMJ open respiratory research. 2021;8(1):e000907.
      Njoroge MW, Mjojo P, Chirwa C, Rylance S, Nightingale R, Gordon SB, et al. Changing lung function and associated health-related quality-of-life: A five-year cohort study of Malawian adults. EClinicalMedicine. 2021;41:101166.
      Jones L, Nightingale R, Burhan H, Jones G, Barber K, Bond H, et al. Is continuous positive airway pressure therapy in COVID-19 associated with an increased rate of pulmonary barotrauma? ERJ Open Research. 2021;7(4).

      Nightingale R, Chinoko B, Lesosky M, Rylance SJ, Mnesa B, Banda NPK, et al. Respiratory symptoms and lung function in patients treated for pulmonary tuberculosis in Malawi: a prospective cohort study. Thorax. 2022;77(11):1131-9.

      Tomeny EM, Nightingale R, Chinoko B, Nikolaidis GF, Madan JJ, Worrall E, et al. TB morbidity estimates overlook the contribution of post-TB disability: evidence from urban Malawi. BMJ Global Health. 2022;7(5):e007643.

      Stolbrink M, Chinouya MJ, Jayasooriya S, Nightingale R, Evans-Hill L, Allan K, et al. Improving access to affordable quality-assured inhaled medicines in low-and middle-income countries.