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Rebecca Coombes
Head of News and Views, The BMJ
Rebecca Coombes is a seasoned magazine editor with a strong background in publishing spanning over 25 years. She boasts a wide array of skills such as editing, news and feature writing, journalism, management, and project delivery.
Currently serving as an editor at The BMJ since 2010, Rebecca is actively involved in writing, editing, and commissioning content for a global medical audience. She leads the journalism team, overseeing the creation of award-winning investigative stories and editing The BMJ's widely distributed print magazine targeted at over 100,000 UK doctors per week.
Rebecca's professional interests encompass critical topics like public health, accessibility to affordable medications, healthcare corruption, conflicts of interest, and the impact of lobbying on healthcare policies. She actively engages in moderating roundtable discussions, chairing and participating in conference panels, and organizing successful events, including an international investigative journalism meeting in New York in 2015.
With a proven track record in managing partnerships with external funders like the European Commission, the Open Society Foundations, and the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, Rebecca brings a wealth of experience to collaborative projects.
Having previously worked as a freelance journalist with prominent clients such as The Guardian, BMJ, Health Service Journal, Nursing Times, British Heart Foundation, World Health Organization, and the European Commission, Rebecca has showcased her versatility and expertise in the field. She also held a regular column in Mother and Baby magazine from 2001 to 2003 and served as a consulting editor for Health Adviser, a quarterly publication for Beachcroft, one of the UK's largest national commercial law firms.
Her earlier career highlights include news editing at the UK weekly magazine Nursing Times, as well as writing for publications specializing in areas such as local government, social work, and housing.
Rebecca Coombes pursued her education at Redland High School in Bristol and went on to achieve a 2:1 degree in English and Art History from University College London, University of London.
