Biography

Professor Rabe Heike graduated from the Westphalian-Wilhelms-University of Münster, Germany and completed her clinical training as Paediatrician and Neonatologist and her academic degrees at the Children´s University Hospital of Münster, Germany. In 2002 she was appointed as Consultant Neonatologist and Lead for Research by Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals in order to develop the growing research portfolio within the department. Professor Rabe has been appointed as Professor of Perinatal Medicine by BSMS.

Research

As lead for research, Prof Rabe has built up a research group for Neonatology and implemented links with local and international collaborators. She has conducted studies on the short and long term benefits of optimal umbilical cord management at the delivery of preterm infants and the impact on parents.

Prof Rabe has built up an international research consortium NEO-CIRC for studying age appropriate formulation of drugs to support the neonatal circulatory adaptation after birth in preterm infants which was funded by the European Commission in 2011. She is a collaborator in the H2020 MSCA funded RISEinFAMILY consortium which studies the implementation of Family Integrated Care in a variety of cultural settings. She has served as honorary officer and board member of several international societies. 

She collaborates with researchers from Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, School of Pharmacy, University of Brighton, School of Health Science, City University London, Kingston University, University of Nottingham and several Universities in Europe and the US. The collaborations cover studies on parents’ perceptions of neonatal care, non-invasive diagnostic devices and age appropriate formulations of medicines for neonates.

Prof Rabe has produced a short film explaining the results of her recently-completed study investigating two ways of providing premature babies with extra blood from the placenta.