Â鶹ÊÓƵ this event
Rachael’s lecture will describe a happy clinical academic career to date dedicated to improving healthcare for people living with chronic breathlessness. What began somewhat tentatively along quiet paths was accelerated by the COVID pandemic and the emergence of Long Covid, shoving her onto the noisy motorways of academia.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ Professor Evans
Rachael is also an Honorary Consultant Respiratory Physician at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK (appointed 2013). Clinically, Rachael implemented and leads an integrated diagnostic breathlessness service, one of the first and largest UK Long Covid services, delivers an advanced COPD service and maintains a full ‘slot’ on the acute unit ‘out of hours’ rota; all her services involve multi-professional working and close integration with exercise rehabilitation.
Her PhD (2009), developing combined cardiorespiratory rehabilitation, was the start of her interest in centring healthcare pathways around a symptom of interest. During her international post-doctoral fellowship University of Toronto, Canada (2009-2011) and NIHR Academic Clinical Lectureship (2011-2013), she further focused on expanding and enhancing pulmonary rehabilitation.
She became a full-time clinical consultant 2013-2017, whereby when leading an NIHR RfPB grant it became clear that protected academic time was essential. Whilst indebted for key clinical ward cover from a colleague, she successfully applied for a NIHR clinician scientist fellowship (2017-2022) to investigate clinical pathways to lead to earlier diagnosis and treatments for people presenting with chronic breathlessness in primary care.
During the pandemic, Rachael was the lead clinical co-investigator for the UK wide Post-hospital COVID-19 (PHOSP-COVID) study. Now she is chief investigator and co-investigator for multiple nationally funded grants (>£25M).
Internationally, she is the European Respiratory Society Group 01.02 Pulmonary Rehabilitation Chair (2021-2026) and the immediate past Chair of the American Thoracic Society Pulmonary Rehabilitation Assembly Chair (2022-2025).
Nationally, she was a member of the BTS PR statement committee, NHS-England Long Covid Taskforce, and remains a member of the current NHS-England Breathlessness Working Group and Taskforce for Lung Health.
Locally, she was instrumental in setting up her local Breathe Easy peer support groups at Market Harborough (2016 – present) and Leicester City (2025 – present).