Brief Bio

Dr. Knobel is Assistant Professor in the Duke University School of Nursing and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar. She has a Master of Science in Nursing degree (Neonatal Nurse Practitioner specialty) from East Carolina University, and completed her PhD in Nursing at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 2006. Dr. Knobel’s research focuses on thermoregulation physiology in the extremely premature infant. She uses physiological monitoring, infrared thermal imaging, and observation to study mechanisms of heat production and vasomotor control in premature infants. Dr. Knobel teaches in the pediatric graduate nursing program.

Dr. Knobel is currently the principal investigator in a study examining temperature and vasomotor tone in extremely low birth weight infants. She is the president of the Beta Epsilon chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International and a member of the AWHONN Research Advisory Panel, and serves as a reviewer for numerous journals and for U.S. and British research funding organizations. She is also a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Academy of Neonatal Nurses, American Physiological Society, National Association of Neonatal Nurses, European Society of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care, American Nurses Association, National League for Nurses, Southern Nursing Research Society and the Council for Advancement of Nursing Science.

Academic Program Affiliations

PhD in Nursing Program
Doctor of Nursing Practice Program
Master of Science in Nursing Program

Education

PhD	University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Nursing
MSN	East Carolina University

Research Interests

Dr. Knobel’s research focuses on thermoregulation in the extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infant during the first few days of life. Dr. Knobel led a study to evaluate using polyurethane wrapping to prevent heat loss for ELBW infants after delivery and contributed to the practice change making this intervention a standard part of national neonatal resuscitation protocol following the delivery of a premature infant. Dr. Knobel conducted a study to examine body temperature and peripheral vasoconstriction in ELBW infants during the first 12 hours of life with funding from NIH (1F31 NR09143-01), American Nurses Foundation, and Foundation of Neonatal Research in 2006. Dr. Knobel is currently examining developmental vasomotor control related to thermal physiology in ELBW infants during their first 14 days of life funded through NIH/NINR (1R15NR012157-01); Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Faculty Scholars (68041); Duke University School of Nursing; March of Dimes/AWHONN Saving Babies, Together grant and the Jean and George Brumley Neonatal-Perinatal Institute.

Awards and Honors

• 2010 Inducted, American Physiological Society

• 2010 Nurse Faculty Scholar, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

• 2004 Graduate Nurse Scholarship, March of Dimes

• 2004 Inducted, Alpha Epsilon Lambda

• 2004 Nurses Charitable Trust District V FNA Scholar, American Nurses Foundation

• 2000 Inducted, Sigma Theta Tau

Areas of Expertise

• Neonatal Nursing
• Research Methods

Areas of Interest

• • Thermoregulation in the extremely low birth weight infant during the first few days of life
• • Developmental vasomotor control related to thermal physiology in the neonate
• • Using thermal imaging with infrared to study perfusion related to necrotizing enterocolitis
• • Observational research using video
• • Exploratory case analysis

Representative Publications

• 2012 -- Pubmed # 22301543 Lucas, K., Knobel, R. B. Implementing practice guidelines and education to improve care of infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Adv Neonatal Care. February, 2012; 12(1); 40-5

• 2011 -- Pubmed # 21586499 Knobel, R. B., Guenther, B. D., Rice, H. E. Thermoregulation and Thermography in Neonatal Physiology and Disease. Biol Res Nurs. May, 2011; 13(3); 274-82

• 2010 -- Rice, H. E., Hollingsworth, C. L., Bradsher, E., Danko, M. E., Crosby, S. M., Goldberg, R. N., Tanaka, D. T., Knobel, R. B. Infrared thermal imaging (thermography) of the abdomen in extremely low birthweight infants. Journal of Surgical Radiology. October, 2010; 1(2); 82-89

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 20838082 Knobel, R., Holditch-Davis, D. Thermoregulation and heat loss prevention after birth and during neonatal intensive-care unit stabilization of extremely low-birthweight infants. Adv Neonatal Care. October 1, 2010; 10(5 Suppl); S7-14

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 20409098 Knobel, R. B., Holditch-Davis, D., Schwartz, T. A. Optimal body temperature in transitional extremely low birth weight infants using heart rate and temperature as indicators. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. January, 2010; 39(1); 3-14

• 2009 -- Pubmed # 19626030 Knobel, R. B., Holditch-Davis, D., Schwartz, T. A., Wimmer Jr, J. E. Extremely low birth weight preterm infants lack vasomotor response in relationship to cold body temperatures at birth. J Perinatol. December, 2009; 29(12); 814-21 PMCID: PMC2787712

• 2009 -- Knobel, R. B. Neonatal thermoregulation. In Body Temperature Regulation, edited by Cisneros, A. B. and Goins, B. L. 2009; pp. 99-121. New York: Nova Science Publishers.

• 2007 -- Pubmed # 17710960 Knobel, R. B. Thyroid hormone levels in term and preterm neonates. Neonatal Netw. 2007; 26(4); 253-9

• 2007 -- Pubmed # 17489935 Knobel, R., Holditch-Davis, D. Thermoregulation and heat loss prevention after birth and during neonatal intensive-care unit stabilization of extremely low-birthweight infants. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2007; 36(3); 280-7

• 2005 -- Pubmed # 15931234 Knobel, R. B., Vohra, S., Lehmann, C. U. Heat loss prevention in the delivery room for preterm infants: a national survey of newborn intensive care units. J Perinatol. 2005; 25(8); 514-8

• 2005 -- Pubmed # 15861196 Knobel, R. B., Wimmer Jr, J. E., Holbert, D. Heat loss prevention for preterm infants in the delivery room. J Perinatol. 2005; 25(5); 304-8

• 2002 -- Pubmed # 12240515 Knobel, R. B. Congenital cutaneous candidiasis: a case presentation. Neonatal Netw. 2002; 21(6); 9-12

• 2001 -- Pubmed # 11268871 Knobel, R. B., Meetze, W., Cummings, J. Case report: total parenteral nutrition extravasation associated with spinal cord compression and necrosis. J Perinatol. July, 2001; 21(1); 68-71

Grant Funding (selected)

• Maturation of Body Temperature and Peripheral Blood Flow in Preterm Infants  
  Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  68041
  09/2010-08/2013
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: This funding provides release time to continue the above research project evaluating vasomotor tone in 30 extremely low birth weight infants over their first 5 days of life. Additionally, the program provides support and mentorship to develop the faculty recipient as a national nurse leader.

• Temperature & Vasomotor Tone During the First 5 Days in Preterms less than 1000g.  
  National Institute of Nursing Research
  1R15-NR012157-01
  03/2010-02/2013
  Project Goal: This exploratory study will examine maturation of vasomotor tone by measuring central and peripheral body temperature in relationship to peripheral perfusion during the first 5 days of life in 30 ELBW infants to focus on the gestational age of mature vasomotor tone and how vasomotor tone matures over postnatal age.

• Body Temperature and Vasomotor Tone in ELBW Infants During the First 5 Days of Life  
  Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), March of Dimes
  07/2009-06/2010
  Role: PI
  “Saving Babies, Together Grant”

• Temperature & vasomotor tone during the first 5 days in preterms less than 1000 g pilot  
  DUSON Small Grant
  11/2008-04/2010
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: The aims of this study are to test instrumentation, design, methods, and statistical analyses to use in a larger study to examine body temperature and vasomotor tone maturity in extremely premature infants less than 1000 grams during the first 5 days of life.

• Physiological effects of thermoregulation in transitional ELBW infants  
  NIH,/NINR, American Nurses Foundation, Foundation of Neonatal Research & Education
  1F31 NR09143-01
  01/2004-12/2005
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: Doctoral dissertation to explore temperature regulation in premature infants from birth to 12 hours of age at a birth weight less than 1000 grams

• Physiological effects of thermoregulation in transitional ELBW infants  
  American Nurses Foundation Nurses Charitable Trust District V FNA Scholar
  07/2004-06/2005
  Role: PI
  Project Goal: Doctoral dissertation to explore temperature regulation in premature infants from birth to 12 hours of age at a birth weight less than 1000 grams.

• Physiological effects of thermoregulation in transitional ELBW infants  
  Foundation of Neonatal Research
  07/2004-07/2005
  Project Goal: Doctoral dissertation to explore temperature regulation in premature infants from birth to 12 hours of age at a birth weight less than 1000 grams.