Dr Rob Niven

Dr Rob Niven initially graduated from St Andrews University in 1981 before completing his MB ChB in 1984 and his MD in 1994 at Manchester University.  He first joined Wythenshawe Hospital in 1989 as a Research Fellow in Respiratory and Occupational Medicine becoming an Honorary Consultant Respiratory Physician in 1997.

 

More recently Rob has focussed his research around severe asthma. This interest has spawned from the clinical severe asthma service founded 10 years ago, which now boasts one of the largest severe asthma populations in the UK (approx 500 ever seen, nearly 400 on regular follow up and 100 new referrals per year).  Recent research themes have looked at new treatments including hypertonic saline and anti-fungal therapy as charitable sponsored activity, and bronchial thermoplasty, anti IgE therapy and anti IL13 as pharmaceutical/industry supported activity, new diagnostic aids including helium MR-scanning, measurements of patterns of dysfunctional breathing (respiratory inductance plethysmography) and psychological factors and their interaction with disease.