‌

 

Email: rachel.keys@bristol.ac.uk

Academic qualifications:  BSc (Hons) in Applied Physiology; BSc(Hons) in Exercise & Health Sciences. 

Professional qualifications: EHRA certification in Cardiac Pacing and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators.  

Professional experience: I have worked for the NHS for 10 years as a clinical cardiac physiologist with specialisation in electrophysiology studies, complex device implant and follow-up.  

Managing the cardiac devices service at the Bristol Heart Institute involved complex personalised device programming and training junior members of staff to help with device implant and follow-up. Working in close collaboration with industry, I also managed the procurement of new pacemaker technology. 

My main clinical work was in the electrophysiology lab, involving utilising a range of technology to detect, map and ablate arrhythmias. I also have extensive experience in emergency situations (heart attack patients) in the primary percutaneous coronary intervention lab as well as complex elective procedures such as treatment of congenital heart defects. 

Outside of the lab I have lectured at the University of Western England in Cardiac Physiology and enjoy teaching and mentoring junior members of the Bristol Cardiac Physiologist team. 

My career in physiology has given me deep real-word insight into medical technology as well as its limitations in high pressure clinical settings. I have really enjoyed my clinical work and my goal is to utilise and build on this knowledge and apply it to the field of digital health. I am particularly interested in arrhythmia recognition and wearables, ML based decision support and predictive modelling in cardiac device management.