Kathryn R. Nightingale

Kathryn Radabaugh Nightingale is an American biomedical engineer in the field of medical ultrasound. She is the Theo Pilkington Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Nightingale is also a Member of the Duke Cancer Institute and Bass Fellow in the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering.
Education.
Nightingale graduated magna cum laude with her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering in 1989. In 1997, she obtained a Doctorate of Philosophy in biomedical engineering from the Duke University Graduate School of Arts at Sciences. Nightingale's thesis was entitled "Ultrasonic Generation and Detection of Acoustic Streaming to Differentiate between Fluid-Filled and Solid Lesions in the Breast".
College athletics.
As a freshman, Nightingale was a member of the 1985-86 Duke Blue Devils women's basketball team, and made the Atlantic Coast Conference Honor Roll for that year.
Career.
Research interests.
Nightingale's early work focused on acoustic streaming to differentiate fluid filled cysts and solid masses in the breast, which was the precursor to acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging when it was determined that acoustic radiation force could induce displacements in soft tissue.
Nightingale's research interests center around ultrasound and elasticity imaging. She is specifically interested in acoustic streaming, acoustic radiation force, and nonlinear acoustics, especially for tissue characterization. She uses finite element modeling as well as phantom and clinical experiments to investigate these phenomena. Nightingale's clinical imaging interests include abdominal imaging, prostate imaging and muscle imaging.
Professional societies.
Nightingale is a member of many professional and academic societies and advisory boards.
Professional committees.
Nightingale has sat and sits on several professional committees.
Conference and review panels.
Nightingale has sat on several grant review panels and has chaired several conference sessions.