Nayia Petousi
MA MB BChir MRCP DPhil
Senior Clinical Research Fellow & Consultant Respiratory Physician
Contact information
Research groups
Research Biography
Short Biography
I am a Consultant Respiratory Physician at Oxford University Hospitals and a Senior Clinical Research Fellow in Respiratory Medicine at the Nuffield Department of Medicine.
I hold a degree in Medicine (MB BChir) from the University of Cambridge. After a period of speciality training in Addenbrooke’s and Papworth Hospital as a respiratory registrar, I came to Oxford in 2009 to study for a DPhil in Biomedical Basic Sciences (Physiology), funded by a Wellcome Trust Fellowship, supervised by Professor Sir Peter Ratcliffe and Professor Peter Robbins. Following my DPhil in 2013, I continued my academic and clinical training at Oxford, as a NIHR academic clinical lecturer, which I completed in 2018.
Research Interests and current projects:
My research interests to date have centred around hypoxia (including the HIF pathway) and integrative cardio-pulmonary physiology, with translational applications on a number of disease entities: high-altitude physiology, genetic erythrocytosis, obstructive sleep apnoea, airways diseases and recently COVID-19. I am particularly interested in describing and understanding the origins of phenotypic variation in respiratory disease and, through rigorous measurements in disease activity, identifying treatable traits.
My current work focuses on a translational programme which explores the clinical utility of novel non-invasive physiological techniques as new measures of lung disease and function. Focusing on airways diseases, the overarching aim is to: improve early disease detection, more accurately assess disease progression or treatment response and identify novel treatable traits, ultimately improving targeting of treatments to patients.
In July 2020, I was awarded a NIHR-OUH research capability fund award to investigate the short and long-term sequalae of COVID-19 on pulmonary function. This facilitated the set-up of an integrated NHS & research post-COVID clinic at Oxford University Hospitals.
Current research projects include:
1. Measuring lung inhomogeneity using a novel non-invasive technique to endotype airways diseases: Using a novel "laser gas analyser" that accurately measures respired gases (developed by Prof Peter Robbins' & Prof Grant Ritchie's groups in DPAG & Chemistry) coupled with a new mathematical model of the lung, we have shown that a novel measure of inhomogeneity (unevenness) in lung ventilation holds real promise as a sensitive marker of small airways disease. We are now assessing its utility as a measure for tracking or predicting therapeutic response in T2-high asthma.
2. Investigating the effects of COVID-19 pneumonia on respiratory & pulmonary vascular physiology: Using detailed cardiorespiratory phenotyping of patients during their recovery period from COVID-19 disease, this project investigates whether abnormal respiratory physiology persists following the acute illness. Using state-of-the art hypoxia challenge testing, a particular aim is to investigate if there are persistent abnormalities in the body’s homeostatic responses to hypoxia (e.g. hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction) following COVID-19. This may provide mechanistic insights into the acute illness and provide further opportunities for therapeutic trials.
3. National NIHR/UKRI multi-centre post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-C). I am one of the local investigators in Oxford. The PHOSP-C study is run and coordinated from my post-COVID clinic, with research nurse support from the Oxford Respiratory Trials Unit.
I supervise two DPhil students: Asma Alamoudi & Haopeng Xu, together with Prof Peter Robbins (DPAG) and Prof Ian Pavord (NDM). I am always keen to hear from prospective DPhil students, clinical academic trainees and Part 2 students.
Recent publications
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Medium-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on multiple vital organs, exercise capacity, cognition, quality of life and mental health, post-hospital discharge
Journal article
Raman B. et al, (2021), EClinicalMedicine, 31, 100683 - 100683
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Successful awake proning is associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19: single-centre high-dependency unit experience
Journal article
Hallifax RJ. et al, (2020), BMJ Open Respiratory Research, 7, e000678 - e000678
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Intravenous iron and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomised controlled trial
Journal article
Santer P. et al, (2020), BMJ Open Respiratory Research, 7, e000577 - e000577
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Novel measure of lung function for assessing disease activity in asthma
Journal article
Smith NMJ. et al, (2020), BMJ Open Respiratory Research, 7, e000531 - e000531
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Transcriptomics Identify a Unique Intermittent Hypoxia-mediated Profile in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Journal article
Turnbull CD. et al, (2020), American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 201, 247 - 250
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DELAYS IN DOCTOR-LED ARTERIAL BLOOD GASES MAY IMPACT TIMELY IMPLEMENTATION AND OPTIMISATION OF ACUTE NON-INVASIVE VENTILATION (NIV)
Conference paper
Tang I. et al, (2019), THORAX, 74, A192 - A192
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NON-INVASIVE ASSESSMENT OF LUNG INHOMOGENEITY FOR EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF COPD
Conference paper
Smith NMJ. et al, (2019), THORAX, 74, A71 - A72
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TRACKING TREATMENT RESPONSE IN SEVERE ASTHMA USING A NOVEL ASSESSMENT OF LUNG INHOMOGENEITY
Conference paper
Smith NMJ. et al, (2019), THORAX, 74, A98 - A99
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Intravenous iron delivers a sustained (8‐week) lowering of pulmonary artery pressure during exercise in healthy older humans
Journal article
Cheng H. et al, (2019), Physiological Reports, 7
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Measuring lung function in airways diseases: current and emerging techniques
Journal article
Petousi N. et al, (2019), Thorax, 74, 797 - 805
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Effect of Supplemental Oxygen on Blood Pressure in Obstructive Sleep Apnea (SOX). A Randomized Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Withdrawal Trial
Journal article
Turnbull CD. et al, (2019), American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 199, 211 - 219
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Reply to Jin et al.: Supplemental Oxygen in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Much to Be Done
Journal article
Turnbull CD. et al, (2019), American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 199, 127 - 127
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Effects of modest iron loading on iron indices in healthy individuals
Journal article
Bart NK. et al, (2018), Journal of Applied Physiology, 125, 1710 - 1719
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NON-INVASIVE MEASUREMENT OF LUNG INHOMOGENEITY FOLLOWING RECOVERY FROM PRIMARY SPONTANEOUS PNEUMOTHORAX
Conference paper
Hallifax RJ. et al, (2018), THORAX, 73, A37 - A38
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Measuring lung inhomogeneity in asthma using a novel non-invasive technique
Conference paper
Smith N. et al, (2018), EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL, 52
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Non-invasive measurement of lung inhomogeneity in patients who suffered a primary spontaneous pneumothorax
Conference paper
Hallifax R. et al, (2018), EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL, 52
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Transcriptomic analysis identifies a unique, intermittent hypoxia mediated inflammatory profile: evidence from a cross-over randomised CPAP withdrawal trial, with and without supplemental oxygen, in OSA
Conference paper
Turnbull C. et al, (2018), EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL, 52
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Effect of Supplemental Oxygen on the Return of Sleepiness During CPAP Withdrawal: Which Derivative of the Osler Maintenance of Wakefulness Test Should Be Used?
Conference paper
Turnbull CD. et al, (2018), AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE, 197
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Effects of Overnight Supplemental Oxygen on Morning Blood Pressure in a Randomized Controlled CPAP Withdrawal Trial in Patients with OSA
Conference paper
Petousi N. et al, (2018), AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE, 197
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Genetic structure in the Sherpa and neighboring Nepalese populations
Journal article
Cole AM. et al, (2017), BMC Genomics, 18