Ginah Nightingale, PharmD, MBA, BCOP — Speaker · Executive · Researcher

Cancer's greatest burden falls on older adults.
So does the weight of their medications.

images/hero-portrait.jpg Her strongest portrait — 1000 × 1250 px (4:5). Drop the file into /images and it appears here automatically. Dr. Ginah Nightingale

Dr. Ginah Nightingale has devoted her career to that intersection. A board-certified oncology pharmacist and former associate professor, she has published extensively on polypharmacy and medication safety in older adults with cancer — and she currently leads medical and scientific learning within the global Medical Affairs organization of a top-five biopharmaceutical company. She speaks, advises, and teaches on the evidence.

Explore her speaking topics Contact Dr. Ginah
images/about-portrait.jpg Warm, direct portrait — 1000 × 1250 px (4:5). Drop the file into /images and it appears here automatically. Dr. Ginah Nightingale
About Dr. Ginah Nightingale

A career at the intersection of patient care, research, and medical education.

In Industry

Dr. Nightingale serves as an Associate Director of Medical & Scientific Learning Excellence within the global Medical Affairs organization of a top-five biopharmaceutical company. She designs the scientific training strategy for a solid tumor pipeline — curricula that support field medical teams from onboarding through advanced scientific readiness — and partners across a matrixed global organization to align learning with medical strategy, so that the science reaches patients through clinicians and scientists who deeply understand it.

In Academia & Practice

For sixteen years she held a dual appointment — Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Thomas Jefferson University and Advanced Practice Pharmacist in medical oncology at its academic medical center — caring for patients, teaching, and conducting research concurrently. Across that period she authored 33 scholarly works, delivered invited presentations on two continents, co-authored international position statements on the care of older adults with cancer, and wrote the polypharmacy chapter of the Handbook of Geriatric Oncology.

33Scholarly publications
35+Invited presentations & lectures
5Countries presented in
1000sClinicians taught & trained
16Years in dual academic-clinical practice
3Degrees & board certification: PharmD, MBA, BCOP
The Fuller StorySixteen years of concurrent patient care, teaching, and research

Before industry, Dr. Nightingale held a dual appointment: Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Thomas Jefferson University's Jefferson College of Pharmacy and Advanced Practice Pharmacist in medical oncology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Across sixteen years she cared for patients, maintained a practice site, taught and coordinated coursework, chaired committees, and conducted research — concurrently.

Her scholarship centers on medication use in older adults with cancer. Her research on pharmacist-led medication assessment, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and the Journal of Geriatric Oncology, contributed to the growing adoption of structured medication review in the care of older adults with cancer. She has presented this work at International Society of Geriatric Oncology conferences in Geneva, Milan, Prague, and Lisbon, and at ASCO, HOPA, ASHP, and ACCC programs in the United States.

Education & CredentialsDegrees, board certification, residencies & research training
  • EducationDoctor of Pharmacy, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University · Executive MBA (Healthcare), Jack Welch Management Institute · Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research, Thomas Jefferson University
  • CertificationBoard Certified Oncology Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCOP), since 2010 · Registered Pharmacist, Pennsylvania and New Jersey
  • ResidenciesSpecialty Residency in Oncology Pharmacy, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy · Pharmacy Practice Residency, Temple University Health System
  • Research TrainingACCP Focused Investigator Training, University of Michigan · Summer Research Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing · ASHP Foundation Research Boot Camp
  • FacultyAssociate Professor of Pharmacy Practice (2017–2023) and Assistant Professor (2010–2017), Thomas Jefferson University · Advanced Practice Pharmacist, Medical Oncology, TJU Hospital (2009–2023)
Leadership & ServiceAppointments across research, education, and governance

International standard-setting

Lead and co-author of International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) position statements and interprofessional reports on the care of older adults with cancer.

National program direction

Director of Programming for HOPA's pre-conference geriatric oncology session; repeat invited faculty at national oncology pharmacy meetings; keynote speaker at the ASHP Summer Meeting.

Founding DEI chair

Founding Chair of the Jefferson College of Pharmacy Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council — from charter to implemented curriculum, recruitment, and community-engagement initiatives within its first year.

Profession-wide service

Item writer for the national Board Certification in Oncology Pharmacy examination; HOPA competencies task force author; faculty research mentor whose mentees have published and presented nationally.

Services

Speaking, advisory, board service, and education design.

Organizations engage Dr. Nightingale in four ways. Each engagement draws on the same foundation: her published research in geriatric oncology and medication safety, sixteen years of academic and clinical practice, and her current work in global medical affairs.

01 · SpeakingKeynotes, plenaries, CE programs & grand rounds

Developed topics spanning geriatric oncology, polypharmacy and medication safety, oral anticancer therapy, health equity, interprofessional care, and medical education — each grounded in her published research. Dr. Nightingale has presented at SIOG international conferences, the ASCO Annual Meeting, HOPA, ASHP, and ACCC programs, and has designed and delivered ACPE-accredited continuing education throughout her career.

Formats
Keynote · plenary · 60–90 min CE session · half-day workshop · grand rounds · webinar · panel & fireside
Audiences
Oncology & pharmacy associations, health systems and cancer centers, academic institutions, federal agencies and policy convenings, industry medical organizations
Browse her topics
02 · Research & Scientific AdvisoryResearch advisory, grant collaboration & scientific review

Dr. Nightingale advises on research design, protocol development, and program strategy where medication use, aging, and oncology intersect. She trained as an investigator at the ACCP Focused Investigator Training program, the Johns Hopkins Summer Research Institute, and the ASHP Foundation Research Boot Camp; collaborated on federally supported clinical research including a randomized controlled trial in older Black adults with diabetes; and co-authored the field's research-priorities framework for polypharmacy in older adults with cancer. She supports federal grants, foundations, health systems, and industry teams with formal investigator training and practical implementation experience.

Engagements
Grant advisor / co-investigator · scientific advisory boards · protocol & measure review · program evaluation · manuscript and evidence strategy
Best fit
Federal and foundation-funded research teams, geriatric oncology programs, medication safety initiatives, health-equity research consortia
Verify the research record
03 · Board ServiceGovernance with clinical depth and enterprise fluency

Dr. Nightingale brings both clinical and business training to governance work: an Executive MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute, national committee and task-force experience, founding chairmanship of an institutional DEI council, and current operating experience within a global top-five biopharmaceutical company. Her professional service spans more than a decade — writing board-certification examination items, co-authoring competency standards, and directing conference programming for national organizations.

Value to a board
Clinical and scientific literacy · healthcare workforce and education expertise · DEI governance experience · global industry perspective · analytical rigor
Best fit
Health systems and foundations, professional associations, academic boards, health-equity and aging-focused nonprofits
Discuss a board mandate
04 · Education & Training DesignCurriculum architecture and training programs that change behavior

Learning design is Dr. Nightingale's current full-time work, practiced at enterprise scale. For organizations that need more than a lecture — a curriculum, a certificate program, a competency framework, an onboarding-to-advanced training pathway — she designs the underlying architecture. Her approach combines evidence-based cognitive science and instructional design with sixteen years of academic course direction, with program success measured by practice change rather than attendance.

Engagements
Curriculum design & review · train-the-trainer programs · competency frameworks · CE program development · learning strategy for medical and clinical teams
Best fit
Health systems, academic programs, associations building education portfolios, medical affairs and field-medical organizations
Scope a training engagement
Expertise

Five areas of focus, anchored in the published record.

Each area below is grounded in published research, professional appointments, or operating experience, with the underlying sources listed in the Research archive on this page.

Geriatric Oncology & Polypharmacy

Her primary research area. Dr. Nightingale has published original research, reviews, and framework papers on polypharmacy, potentially inappropriate medication use, and medication assessment in older adults with cancer — including studies of pharmacist-led medication review and the co-authored research-priorities framework for the field.

Anchored by

  • First-author original research in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and Journal of Geriatric Oncology on polypharmacy and PIM prevalence in senior adults with cancer
  • Co-author, "Research Priorities to Address Polypharmacy in Older Adults with Cancer"
  • Polypharmacy chapter author, Handbook of Geriatric Oncology
  • Invited presentations: SIOG (Geneva, Milan, Prague, Lisbon), ASCO, HOPA, ASHP
Medication Safety & Drug Interactions

From quantifying the prevalence of major drug–drug interactions in older adults with cancer to evaluating clinical decision support software, her work sits where system design meets patient safety. She directed medication safety education for interprofessional learners, including a root-cause-analysis workshop embedded in a required medication safety course.

Anchored by

  • First-author research on major drug–drug interaction prevalence and the role of clinical decision support (Journal of Geriatric Oncology)
  • The iMAP study: a pharmacist-led individualized medication assessment and planning intervention across care transitions
  • Interprofessional RCA workshop development, presented at the Jefferson Center for Interprofessional Education Conference
Medical Education & Enterprise Scientific Training

Sixteen years of academic course direction, curriculum development, and faculty mentorship — now applied at enterprise scale in her role leading medical and scientific learning for the global Medical Affairs organization of a top-five biopharmaceutical company, where curricula support field medical teams from onboarding through advanced scientific readiness on a solid tumor pipeline.

Anchored by

  • Current: Associate Director, Medical & Scientific Learning Excellence, global Medical Affairs (top-five biopharmaceutical company)
  • Course coordinator and faculty research mentor, Jefferson College of Pharmacy; developer of creative curriculum delivery and assessment methods
  • National faculty-development webinars for AACP on scholarship, grants, and the scholarship of teaching and learning
Health Equity & Community Engagement

Her equity work spans research and institutional governance. She contributed to federally supported clinical research in older Black adults with diabetes, published on medication use in that population presenting to the emergency department, and served as founding chair of an institutional Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council that moved from charter to implemented initiatives within its first year.

Anchored by

  • Co-author, randomized controlled trial of a collaborative home-based diabetes intervention in Black individuals with diabetes (Contemporary Clinical Trials)
  • First-author research on polypharmacy and PIM use in older Blacks with diabetes presenting to the ED (Journal of Aging and Health)
  • Founding Chair, Jefferson College of Pharmacy DEI Council; AACP poster presentation on the council's implementation model
  • Community programs including Susan G. Komen breast cancer awareness education
Outcomes Research & Interprofessional Care Models

Her research consistently asks the systems question: what happens to hospitalizations, functional status, and outcomes when medication use is managed well — or isn't — and which team designs fix it. She helped author the international position statements integrating nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professionals into geriatric oncology care worldwide.

Anchored by

  • Co-author, systematic review and meta-analysis of polypharmacy and adverse outcomes in older adults with cancer (The Oncologist)
  • Co-author, polypharmacy–hospitalization research in older adults receiving IV chemotherapy and oral androgen signaling inhibitor outcomes research (European Urology)
  • Lead/co-author, SIOG Nursing & Allied Health interprofessional reports and international position statements
  • ASCO Educational Book co-author: a practical guide to geriatric syndromes in older adults with cancer
Speaking Topics

Speaking topics grounded in published research and practice.

Each topic below draws on Dr. Nightingale's published research and professional experience. Outcome highlights are provided for programming committees, along with suggested audiences and formats. All topics can be adapted for CE accreditation, virtual delivery, and executive or policy briefings. Open any title for the full description.

Workshop · CE Session · Keynote The ReMEDy Toolbox Practical medication management for older adults with cancer.

Developed from her published research on pharmacist-led medication assessment and from the session she directed as pre-conference programming at the HOPA Annual Conference. Attendees leave with a working toolbox: structured medication review methods, deprescribing frameworks, chemotherapy toxicity calculators, and screening approaches for potentially inappropriate medications and unreported complementary medicine use.

Outcome highlights

  • Apply a validated, pharmacist-led medication assessment workflow to older adults with cancer — in ambulatory, inpatient, and transition-of-care settings
  • Use chemotherapy toxicity calculators and geriatric assessment data to guide treatment decision-making
  • Identify and act on potentially inappropriate medications, high-risk combinations, and undisclosed complementary and alternative medicine use
Best for
Oncology pharmacists, nurses, APPs, multidisciplinary cancer teams, CE program committees
Formats
Half-day workshop · 60–90 min CE session · keynote adaptation
Inquire about this topic
Keynote · Plenary Silver Survivors: Too Old for Treatment? Chronologic age is not functional age.

The fastest-growing population in oncology is the one treatment paradigms were not originally built for. Drawing on her published review of how chronologic and functional age influence treatment-related effects, and on her years of clinical practice in medical oncology, Dr. Nightingale presents an evidence-based framework for individualized treatment decision-making.

Outcome highlights

  • Distinguish chronologic from functional age using validated geriatric assessment domains
  • Recognize how age-related pharmacology changes alter treatment tolerance and toxicity risk
  • Reframe eligibility conversations — with patients, families, and tumor boards — around function, goals, and evidence rather than birth year
Best for
Conference plenaries, cancer center symposia, survivorship programs, geriatrics and aging convenings
Formats
Keynote · plenary · fireside conversation
Inquire about this topic
Clinical Deep-Dive · Grand Rounds Crossroads & Collisions Polypharmacy and drug interactions in geriatric oncology.

Older adults with cancer routinely carry medication lists their care teams never see in full. Grounded in her original research quantifying major drug–drug interaction prevalence and evaluating clinical decision support software, this session maps where interactions hide, what they cost in outcomes and hospitalizations, and how structured pharmacist review changes the equation.

Outcome highlights

  • Quantify the real prevalence and clinical significance of major drug–drug interactions in older adults with cancer
  • Deploy clinical decision support intelligently — knowing its documented strengths and blind spots
  • Build interaction surveillance into existing oncology workflows without adding headcount
Best for
Grand rounds, health-system education days, oncology and geriatrics fellowships, P&T committees
Formats
60 min grand rounds · CE deep-dive · panel anchor
Inquire about this topic
Medical Education · Enterprise Learning From Theory to Practice Building scientific learning that changes what clinicians do.

Most scientific training informs; far less of it changes practice. Drawing on her current role leading medical and scientific learning for the global Medical Affairs organization of a top-five biopharmaceutical company, and on sixteen years of academic course direction, Dr. Nightingale examines how cognitive science and instructional design turn dense science into durable capability.

Outcome highlights

  • Design onboarding-to-advanced learning pathways that hold up at enterprise scale
  • Apply retention-engineered modalities — spaced, self-paced, live, and virtual — where each actually works
  • Measure learning by behavior change and scientific readiness, not completion rates
Best for
Medical affairs and L&D leadership, association education committees, academic faculty development, health-system educators
Formats
Keynote · leadership workshop · advisory engagement
Inquire about this topic
Policy · Public Health · Federal Briefing The Hidden Epidemic Polypharmacy as a national public health priority.

Polypharmacy in aging populations is a growing public health concern that seldom receives sustained policy attention. Dr. Nightingale co-authored the field's research-priorities framework for polypharmacy in older adults with cancer and contributed to the systematic review and meta-analysis examining polypharmacy and adverse outcomes. For federal agencies, policy convenings, and public health audiences, this session translates the evidence into an actionable agenda: what the research shows, where the gaps are, and which levers — workforce, payment, decision support, deprescribing infrastructure — the evidence supports.

Outcome highlights

  • Understand the scale and cost of polypharmacy and inappropriate medication use in aging populations, grounded in the published evidence base
  • Map the field's prioritized research agenda — and where federal investment yields the greatest return
  • Identify policy and system levers, from pharmacist integration to decision-support standards, with implementation evidence behind them
Best for
Federal agencies and grant programs, policy institutes, aging and public health convenings, payer and health-services audiences
Formats
Policy briefing · keynote · expert panel · advisory testimony
Inquire about this topic
Health Equity · Community Health Equity in Every Dose Medication safety, aging, and underserved communities.

Medication risk does not distribute evenly. Dr. Nightingale's research includes federally supported clinical work in older Black adults with diabetes — a randomized controlled trial of a collaborative home-based intervention and original research on polypharmacy in this population presenting to the emergency department. Paired with her founding chairmanship of an institutional DEI council, this session connects the evidence on disparity to the practical work of building equitable medication safety — in clinics, communities, and institutions.

Outcome highlights

  • Examine the published evidence on medication burden and inappropriate prescribing in underserved older adults
  • Translate community-partnered research models — including home-based and ED-based interventions — to local programs
  • Apply a tested institutional playbook for moving DEI commitments from statement to implemented structure
Best for
Health equity convenings, community health organizations, academic institutions, health-system DEI and quality leadership
Formats
Keynote · workshop · panel · institutional advisory
Inquire about this topic
Care Teams · Interprofessional The Team Around the Patient Integrating pharmacists, nurses, and allied health in cancer care.

Care of older adults with cancer is increasingly team-based. Dr. Nightingale served as lead and co-author of the SIOG Nursing & Allied Health interprofessional reports and position statements, and this session presents the international consensus on team-based geriatric oncology care alongside the practical experience of sixteen years practicing within such a team at an academic medical center.

Outcome highlights

  • Apply the international consensus framework for integrating nursing, pharmacy, and allied health into geriatric oncology care
  • Design role clarity and referral pathways that make geriatric assessment feasible in daily oncology practice
  • Anticipate and dismantle the operational barriers — staffing, workflow, reimbursement — that stall team-based models
Best for
Cancer centers and health systems, nursing and allied health conferences, interprofessional education programs
Formats
Keynote · CE session · multi-disciplinary workshop
Inquire about this topic
Health Systems · Quality & Safety Safety by Design Building a culture of medication safety that survives contact with reality.

Medication safety fails in systems more often than in individuals. Dr. Nightingale developed and taught medication safety curriculum for interprofessional learners — including a root-cause-analysis workshop presented at the Jefferson Center for Interprofessional Education Conference — and her research on decision support and care transitions examines where safety systems hold and where they break down. This session offers quality leaders an evidence-based approach to building medication safety culture.

Outcome highlights

  • Run root-cause analysis as a learning discipline across professions, not a compliance ritual
  • Engineer the highest-risk moments — care transitions, high-alert medications, older adults — with evidence-backed safeguards
  • Balance technology and judgment: what her decision-support research says software catches, and what only clinicians will
Best for
Health-system quality and safety leadership, P&T and medication safety committees, interprofessional education conferences
Formats
Grand rounds · workshop · safety summit keynote
Inquire about this topic
Clinical Deep-Dive · CE Session Beyond the Infusion Chair Oral anticancer therapy and adherence in older adults.

Cancer treatment increasingly happens at home, in tablet form — shifting the burden of adherence, monitoring, and interaction management onto patients who are often already managing long medication lists. Dr. Nightingale co-authored the International Society of Geriatric Oncology taskforce recommendations on adherence to oral cancer therapy in older adults, and has presented on oral chemotherapy in special populations at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and on targeted therapy in senior adults at HOPA. This session brings that evidence into practice.

Outcome highlights

  • Apply the SIOG taskforce recommendations for assessing and supporting adherence to oral anticancer therapy in older adults
  • Screen for the interaction risks specific to oral regimens layered onto existing polypharmacy — including unreported supplement and complementary medicine use, drawn from her published assessment research
  • Build monitoring and follow-up workflows for patients managing anticancer therapy outside the clinic
Best for
Oncology pharmacy and nursing conferences, specialty pharmacy teams, cancer centers, CE program committees
Formats
60–90 min CE session · grand rounds · workshop module
Inquire about this topic
Research & Publications

The complete published record.

Thirty-three scholarly works — original research, invited reviews, international position statements, case reports, and book chapters — presented in full for colleagues, programming committees, grant reviewers, and journalists. All works are indexed and independently verifiable through PubMed and their journals of record. Open any group for the full citations.

Publications

Original Research Articles11 peer-reviewed studies

Nightingale G, Scopelliti EM, Casten R, Woloshin M, Xiao S, Kelley M, Chang AM, Hollander JE, Leiby BE, Peterson AM, Pizzi LT, Rising KL, White N, Rovner B. Polypharmacy and Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Blacks with Diabetes Mellitus Presenting to the Emergency Department. Journal of Aging and Health. 2021. DOI: 10.1177/08982643211045546

Mohamed MR, Ramsdale E, Loh KP, Xu H, Patil A, Gilmore N, Obrecht S, Wells M, Nightingale G, et al. Association of Polypharmacy and Potentially Inappropriate Medications With Physical Functional Impairments in Older Adults With Cancer. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. 2021;1:1–8.

Casten R, Rovner B, Chang AM, Hollander JE, Kelley M, Leiby B, Nightingale G, et al. A randomized clinical trial of a collaborative home-based diabetes intervention to reduce emergency department visits and hospitalizations in Black individuals with diabetes. Contemporary Clinical Trials. 2020;95:106069.

Lu-Yao G, Nikita N, Keith SW, Nightingale G, et al. Mortality and hospitalization risk following oral androgen signaling inhibitors among men with advanced prostate cancer by pre-existing cardiovascular comorbidities. European Urology. 2020;77(2):158–66.

Lu-Yao G, Nightingale G, Nikita N, Keith S, Gandhi K, Swartz K, Zinner R, Sharma S, Kelly WMK, Chapman A. Relationship between polypharmacy and inpatient hospitalization among older adults with cancer treated with intravenous chemotherapy. Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2020 May.

Nightingale G, Pizzi LT, Barlow A, Barlow B, Jacisin T, McGuire M, Swartz K, Chapman A. The prevalence of major drug-drug interactions in older adults with cancer and the role of clinical decision support software. Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2018 Mar.

Kesmodel SB, Goloubeva OG, Rosenblatt PY, Heiss B, Bellavance EC, Chumsri S, Bao T, Thompson J, Nightingale G, Tait NS, Nichols EM. Patient-reported Adherence to Adjuvant Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy Using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. American Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2018;41(5):508–12.

Nightingale G, Pizzi LT, Hajjar E, Wang M, Pigott E, Doherty S, et al. Implementing a Pharmacist-led Individualized Medication Assessment and Planning (iMAP) Pilot to Improve Medication Use During Care Transitions in Senior Adult Oncology (SAO) Patients. Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2017;8(4):296–302.

Nightingale G, Hajjar ER, Guo K, Komura S, Urnoski E, Sendecki J, Swartz K, Chapman A. A pharmacist-led medication assessment used to determine a more precise estimation of the prevalence of complementary and alternative medication (CAM) use among ambulatory senior adults with cancer. Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2015;6:411–7.

Nightingale G, Hajjar ER, Swartz K, Sendecki JA, Chapman AE. A pharmacist-led medication assessment used to identify prevalence of and associations with polypharmacy (PP) and potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use among ambulatory senior adults with cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2015;33:1453–9.

Nightingale G, Trovato J, Lee M, Thompson J. Carboplatin dosing in overweight and obese patients: a single center experience. Journal of Hematology Oncology Pharmacy Practice. 2011;1:18–24.

Invited & Peer-Reviewed Review Articles12 invited and peer-reviewed reviews

Kantilal K, Kantilal K, Nightingale G, Ramsdale E. How-to guide for medication reviews in older adults with cancer: A Young International Society of Geriatric Oncology and Nursing & Allied Health Interest Group initiative. Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2022 Jun.

Whitman A, Erdeljac P, Jones C, Pillarella N, Nightingale G. Managing Polypharmacy in Older Adults with Cancer Across Different Healthcare Settings. Drug, Healthcare and Patient Safety. 2021;13:101.

Nightingale G, Mohamed MR, Holmes HM, Sharma M, Ramsdale E, Lu-Yao G, et al. Research priorities to address polypharmacy in older adults with cancer. Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2021 Feb.

Barlow A, Prusak ES, Barlow B, Nightingale G. Interventions to reduce polypharmacy and optimize medication use in older adults with cancer. Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2020 Dec.

Mohamed MR, Ramsdale E, Loh KP, Arastu A, Xu H, Obrecht S, Castillo D, Sharma M, Holmes HM, Nightingale G, et al. Associations of Polypharmacy and Inappropriate Medications with Adverse Outcomes in Older Adults with Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The Oncologist. 2019;24:1–15.

Nightingale G, Schwartz R, Kachur E, Dixon BN, Cote C, Barlow A, et al. Clinical pharmacology of oncology agents in older adults: A comprehensive review of how chronologic and functional age can influence treatment-related effects. Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2018 Jul.

Nightingale G, Skonecki E, Boparai MK. Polypharmacy in Older Adults with Cancer: Evaluating Polypharmacy as Part of the Geriatric Assessment. Current Geriatrics Reports. 2017;6(4):219–30.

Nightingale G, Skonecki E, Boparai M. The Impact of Polypharmacy on Patient Outcomes in Older Adults with Cancer. The Cancer Journal. 2017;23(4):211–218.

Sharma M, Loh KP, Nightingale G, Mohile SG, Holmes HM. Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication use in geriatric oncology. Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2016;7:346–53.

Suh KS, Tanaka T, Sarojini S, Nightingale G, Gharbaran R, Pecora A, Goy A. The role of the ubiquitin proteasome system in lymphoma. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology. 2013;7:306–22.

Nightingale G, Ryu J. Cabazitaxel: a novel agent for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). P&T. 2012;37:440–8.

Nightingale G. Ofatumumab: a novel anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody for treatment of refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Annals of Pharmacotherapy. 2011;45:1248–55.

International Position Statements, Reports & Society Publications8 society publications and international position statements

Puts M, Strohschein F, Oldenmenger W, Haase K, Newton L, Fitch M, Sattar S, Stolz-Baskett P, Jin R, Loucks A, Nightingale G. Position statement on oncology and cancer nursing care for older adults with cancer and their caregivers of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology Nursing and Allied Health Interest Group, the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology Oncology & Aging Special Interest Group, and the European Oncology Nursing Society. Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2021 Mar.

Nightingale G, Battisti NM, Loh KP, Puts M, Kenis C, Goldberg A, Haase KR, Krok-Schoen J, Liposits G, Sattar S, Stolz-Baskett P. Perspectives on functional status in older adults with cancer: An interprofessional report from the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) nursing and allied health interest group and young SIOG. Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2020 Nov.

Nightingale G, Burhenn PS, Puts M, Stolz-Baskett P, Haase KR, Sattar S, Kenis C. Integrating Nurses and Allied Health Professionals in the care of older adults with cancer: A report from the International Society of Geriatric Oncology Nursing and Allied Health Interest Group. Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2020;11(2):187–90.

Magnuson A, Sattar S, Nightingale G, Saracino R, Skonecki E, Trevino KM. A practical guide to geriatric syndromes in older adults with cancer: a focus on falls, cognition, polypharmacy, and depression. American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book. 2019;39:e96–109.

Mislang AR, Wildes TM, Kanesvaran R, Baldini C, Holmes HM, Nightingale G, Coolbrandt A, Biganzoli L. Adherence to Oral Cancer Therapy in Older Adults: The International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) Taskforce Recommendations. Cancer Treatment Reviews. 2017;57:58–66.

Nightingale G, Saunders IM, Comeau JM, Fancher K, Miller T, O'Bryant C, Yeh J. Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association Entry-level Competencies Task Force Response Statement to the 2016 American College of Clinical Pharmacy Pharmacotherapy Didactic Curriculum Toolkit. Pharmacotherapy. 2017;37(5).

Guerard EJ, Nightingale G, Bellizzi K, Burhenn P, Rosko A, Artz AS, Korc-Grodzicki B, Canin B, Dale W, Ferrell B. Survivorship care for older adults with cancer: U13 Conference Report. Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2016;7:305–12.

Burhenn PS, McCarthy AL, Begue A, Nightingale G, Cheng K, Kenis C. Geriatric assessment in daily oncology practice for nurses and allied health care professionals: opinion paper of the Nursing and Allied Health Interest Group of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG). Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2016;7:315–24.

Book Chapters & Case Reports2 works

Nightingale G, Boparai M. Polypharmacy (Chapter 8). In: Handbook of Geriatric Oncology. Springer Publishing / Demos Medical. 2017.

Chen LJ, Nightingale G, Baer M. Mercaptopurine-induced fever: hypersensitivity reaction in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Pharmacotherapy. 2010;30:65–7.

Presentations & Invited Lectures

International society conferences, national meetings, health-system grand rounds, and community programs — the complete record, with selected peer-reviewed poster presentations. Since 2023, Dr. Nightingale's teaching has been delivered within industry as part of her role in enterprise scientific training; she accepts a limited number of external engagements.

International · InvitedInternational Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) · 5 presentations
2019

Special Symposium on Research for Older Adults — Pharmacology Monitoring and Drug-Drug Interactions.Oral podium presentation, SIOG Annual Conference · Geneva, Switzerland

2019

Polypharmacy 101: Targeting the Basics.Invited international webinar, SIOG Nursing & Allied Health Group

2016

Polypharmacy Assessment and Medication Management.Oral podium presentation, SIOG Annual Conference · Milan, Italy

2015

Implementing a Pharmacist-led Individualized Medication Assessment and Planning (iMAP) Pilot to Improve Medication Use During Care Transitions in Senior Adult Oncology Patients.Oral podium presentation, SIOG Annual Conference · Prague, Czech Republic

2014

A Pharmacist-led Medication Assessment Used to Identify Prevalence and Associations with Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use among Ambulatory Senior Adults with Cancer.Oral podium presentation, SIOG Annual Conference · Lisbon, Portugal

National · InvitedASCO · HOPA · ASHP · ACCC · AACP · 13 presentations
2020

A ReMEDy Toolbox: Providing Care for Older Adults with Cancer.Director of Programming, pre-conference session · HOPA Annual Conference, Tampa (virtual)

2020

What's in Your ReMEDy Toolbox: Utilizing Chemotherapy Toxicity Calculators to Guide Decision Making for Older Adults with Cancer.Oral podium presentation · HOPA Annual Conference, Tampa (virtual)

2019

Special Issues with Prescriptions in Older Patients with Cancer: Polypharmacy and Drug Interactions.Oral podium presentation · American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, Chicago

2019

Time for a ReMEDy: A Focus on Pharmacy and the Older Adult.Invited national webinar · Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), Multidisciplinary Approaches to Caring for Geriatric Cancer Patients series

2019

"Silver Survivors" Too Old for Treatment? An Update on how Chronologic and Functional Age Can Influence Treatment-related Effects.Oral podium presentation · HOPA Annual Conference, Fort Worth

2018

Opportunities in Scholarship: A Focus on Foundational Grants and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.Invited national webinar · AACP Pharmacy Practice Faculty Development Committee

2018

Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults with Cancer: Time to Remember the Intersection Between Cancer, Cognitive Impairment and Chemotherapy.Oral podium presentation · HOPA Annual Conference, Denver

2017

Crossroads, Junctions and Roundabouts: The Intersection between Polypharmacy and Drug Interactions in Geriatric Oncology.Oral podium presentation · HOPA Annual Conference, Anaheim

2016

Rising to the Challenge.Keynote Speaker, Donor Breakfast · ASHP Summer Meeting, Baltimore

2015

Tips on Being a Successful AACP New Investigator Award Recipient.Invited national webinar · AACP Practice Section Research and Scholarship Committee

2015

The Bulls-Eye of Targeted Therapy in Senior Adults with Solid Tumors: A Moving Target?Oral podium presentation · HOPA Annual Conference, Austin

2014

Oral Chemotherapy Use in Special Populations (Geriatrics and Pediatrics).Invited oral presentation · ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, Section of Clinical Scientists and Specialists, Anaheim

2014

Polypharmacy and Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Senior Adult Oncology (SAO) Patients.Oral podium presentation · HOPA Annual Conference, New Orleans

Regional · Health Systems · AcademicGrand rounds, symposia & invited lectures · 11 presentations
2019

Time for a ReMEDy: A Focus on Medication Use and the Older Adult.Oral podium presentation · 13th Annual Northeast Regional Hematology Oncology Pharmacists Symposium, Burlington, MA

2019

Medication Management in the Older Adult with Cancer.Geriatric Oncology Symposium · Hartford HealthCare, Hartford Hospital, CT

2019

Polypharmacy 101: Targeting the Basics.Oncology Nurses Educational Session · Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia

2016

Development of an Inter-professional Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Workshop within a Required Medication Safety Course.Oral podium presentation · Jefferson Center for Inter-professional Education Conference, Philadelphia

2015

Getting Your 1st Research Grant: Tips from a New Investigator.Faculty Development Seminar · Jefferson College of Pharmacy

2014

Polypharmacy and Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Senior Adult Oncology Patients.Jefferson Kimmel Cancer Center Network Educational Session, Philadelphia

2013

Foundations and Fundamentals of IPPE V: Guiding Students in Developing Patient Care Plans.Preceptor Development Session · Jefferson School of Pharmacy

2011

New and Emerging Treatments for Breast Cancer.Kimmel Cancer Network Conference · Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

2009

Protection 101: Update on ASCO Guidelines on Chemotherapy Cytoprotectants.Clinical Update in Pharmacotherapy Conference · University of Maryland Medical Center

2008

Numb Toes and Other Woes: Update on Effective Management Strategies for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy.ACPE Continuing Education Program · University of Maryland School of Pharmacy

2008

HOT SHOTS! Vaccination Update 2008.ACPE Continuing Education Program · Temple University School of Pharmacy

Community & AdvocacyPublic health education
2013

Medication Use in Breast Cancer Patients.Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness Event · Haven Penial United Methodist Church, Philadelphia

Selected Peer-Reviewed Poster PresentationsNational meetings · 6 posters
2019

Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use and Cognition in Older Women with Breast Cancer: A Prospective Pilot Study.Nightingale G, et al. · Journal of Geriatric Oncology 2019;10(6):S71–S72

2019

Relationships among Patient Diabetes Self-Care Behaviors, Depression and Self-Reported Medication Adherence in African Americans with Diabetes.Xiao S, et al., Nightingale G · ACCP Annual Meeting, New York

2014

Risky Business: Prevalence of High-Risk Medication Use in Senior Adult Oncology Patients at an Academic Medical Center.Urnoski E, Nightingale G · ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, Anaheim

2013

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Low Molecular Weight Heparin Anticoagulant Therapy.Shah R, et al., Nightingale G · ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, Orlando

2012

Tumor Lysis Syndrome Associated with Carboplatin and Paclitaxel for Endometrial Cancer.Miao D, et al., Nightingale G · ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, Las Vegas

2008

Evaluation of Venous Thromboembolism Pre- and Post-Implementation of a DVT Risk Assessment Form in a Community Hospital.Nightingale G, et al. · ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, Las Vegas

Appointments, Leadership & Professional Service

International Leadership

  • International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) — Nursing & Allied Health Interest Group; lead/co-author of interprofessional reports and position statements
  • SIOG international webinar faculty and repeat annual-conference podium presenter

National Appointments

  • Item Writer, Board Certification in Oncology Pharmacy (BCOP) Specialty Examination
  • Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Entry-Level Competencies Task Force author
  • Director of Programming, HOPA pre-conference geriatric oncology session
  • AACP national faculty-development webinar faculty on scholarship and grants

Institutional Leadership

  • Founding Chair, Jefferson College of Pharmacy Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council — charter to implemented initiatives within its first year
  • Committee chair and institutional service across curriculum, admissions, and assessment
  • Course coordinator and faculty research mentor; mentees published and presented nationally

Credentials & Training

  • Board Certified Oncology Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCOP), since 2010
  • Executive MBA (Healthcare), Jack Welch Management Institute
  • ACCP Focused Investigator Training · Johns Hopkins Summer Research Institute · ASHP Foundation Research Boot Camp
  • Registered Pharmacist: Pennsylvania & New Jersey (active)
images/wide-shoot.png Environmental portrait or conference candid — 2100 × 800 px (21:8 landscape). Drop the file into /images and it appears here automatically. Dr. Ginah Nightingale
Media & Event Resources

Biographies, photography, and press resources.

Approved biographies in three lengths, a ready-to-read podium introduction, a fact sheet, and headshots — publication-ready for confirmed engagements and press coverage.

Short Bio · ~50 words · programs & agendas

Dr. Ginah Nightingale, PharmD, MBA, BCOP, is a board-certified oncology pharmacist, former Associate Professor at Thomas Jefferson University, and a published researcher on polypharmacy and medication safety in older adults with cancer. She currently leads medical and scientific learning within the global Medical Affairs organization of a top-five biopharmaceutical company.

Medium Bio~120 words · event websites & press

Dr. Ginah Nightingale, PharmD, MBA, BCOP, has spent her career at the intersection of aging, oncology, and medication safety. Over sixteen years in a dual appointment at Thomas Jefferson University — Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Advanced Practice Pharmacist in medical oncology — she authored 33 scholarly publications, co-authored the international position statements guiding care of older adults with cancer, and delivered invited presentations across five countries, including SIOG conferences in Geneva, Milan, Prague, and Lisbon, and the ASCO Annual Meeting. Today she serves as Associate Director of Medical & Scientific Learning Excellence within the global Medical Affairs organization of a top-five biopharmaceutical company, where she designs scientific training for a solid tumor pipeline. She holds an Executive MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute.

Long Bio~300 words · keynote programs & profiles

Dr. Ginah Nightingale, PharmD, MBA, BCOP, is an oncology pharmacist, researcher, and medical affairs executive whose work centers on medication safety in older adults with cancer. Her research on pharmacist-led medication assessment contributed to the adoption of structured medication review in geriatric oncology care, and she currently designs scientific learning at enterprise scale.

For sixteen years, Dr. Nightingale held a dual appointment at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia: Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the Jefferson College of Pharmacy and Advanced Practice Pharmacist in medical oncology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Practicing and publishing concurrently, she authored 33 scholarly works — original research in journals including the Journal of Clinical Oncology and Journal of Geriatric Oncology, the field's research-priorities framework for polypharmacy, international position statements of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology, and the polypharmacy chapter of the Handbook of Geriatric Oncology. Her invited presentations span five countries, including SIOG conferences in Geneva, Milan, Prague, and Lisbon; the ASCO Annual Meeting; repeat faculty appearances at HOPA; and a keynote at the ASHP Summer Meeting. She served as founding chair of the Jefferson College of Pharmacy Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council and has served the profession as a BCOP examination item writer and HOPA task-force author.

Today, Dr. Nightingale is Associate Director of Medical & Scientific Learning Excellence within the global Medical Affairs organization of a top-five biopharmaceutical company, where she designs the curricula that support field medical teams from onboarding through advanced scientific training on a solid tumor pipeline. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from Rutgers University, completed residency training at Temple University Health System and an oncology specialty residency at the University of Maryland, and holds an Executive MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute. She speaks in her independent expert capacity.

Podium IntroductionRead as written · ~60 seconds

"Our next speaker has spent her career on a question medicine is still learning to ask: what happens when the fastest-growing population of cancer patients is also the most medicated? Dr. Ginah Nightingale is a board-certified oncology pharmacist who spent sixteen years as a professor and practicing clinician at Thomas Jefferson University — publishing thirty-three scholarly works, contributing to international position statements on the care of older adults with cancer, and presenting her research from Geneva to Lisbon to the ASCO Annual Meeting. Today, she leads medical and scientific learning for the global medical affairs organization of one of the world's largest biopharmaceutical companies. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Ginah Nightingale."

[PRONUNCIATION GUIDE — confirm phonetic spelling of "Ginah" with Dr. Nightingale and insert here, e.g. "(GEE-nah)". Getting her name right is part of the introduction.]

Fact SheetName, role, expertise, contact
  • Full name & credentialsGinah Nightingale, PharmD, MBA, BCOP
  • Current roleAssociate Director, Medical & Scientific Learning Excellence, global Medical Affairs — top-five biopharmaceutical company (speaking in her independent expert capacity)
  • Prior appointmentAssociate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Thomas Jefferson University; Advanced Practice Pharmacist, Medical Oncology, TJU Hospital (2009–2023)
  • ExpertiseGeriatric oncology · polypharmacy & medication safety · medical education & enterprise scientific training · health equity · outcomes research
  • Scholarship33 publications · 35+ invited presentations · 5 countries · Handbook of Geriatric Oncology chapter author
  • Based inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania · travels worldwide
  • Booking & media contacthello@drginah.com · or the inquiry form below (select "Media & Press")
images/headshot-a.jpgPrimary portrait · 1200 × 1500 px (4:5) · print resolution Dr. Ginah Nightingale — primary headshot images/headshot-b.jpgAlternate portrait · 1200 × 1500 px (4:5) Dr. Ginah Nightingale — alternate headshot images/speaking-photo.pngOn-stage / conference candid · 1800 × 1200 px (3:2 landscape) Dr. Ginah Nightingale speaking

Photos are approved for use in event promotion and press coverage of confirmed engagements. Please credit where credit is indicated in the file name.

Contact Dr. Ginah

Speaking, advisory, board service, and media inquiries begin here.

Dr. Nightingale accepts a limited number of engagements each year and reviews every inquiry personally for fit. Choose the engagement type below — the form will ask only for what that inquiry needs — and expect a response within three business days.

What kind of engagement is this?

A few details about the event help Dr. Nightingale respond with specifics. Estimates are fine.

Prefer email? Reach the office directly at hello@drginah.com.