About The Adult Inflammatory Arthritis Research Advisory Group
Inflammatory arthritis is a term used to describe a group of arthritic conditions which cause pain, stiffness and damage to joints. These include conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.
These conditions are caused when our immune system mistakenly attacks our joints, leaving them painful, stiff and swollen. Other body systems and organs can also be attacked. This can make these conditions complex and harder to understand.
Our research has already made significant advances for people with inflammatory arthritis.
This includes https://www.versusarthritis.org/research/research-achievements/anti-tnf-the-inflammatory-arthritis-treatment-revolution/discovering anti-TNF, a revolutionary new treatment, and creating a best practice guide for treating rheumatoid arthritis.
But how well someone responds to treatment and manages their condition long-term can vary from person to person.
Sometimes someone living with arthritis will need to try several treatments, before their symptoms are relieved. This will continue to happen, until more research is done.
The Adult Inflammatory Arthritis Research Advisory Group is made up of people with arthritis, healthcare professionals, scientists, and researchers. Together, they aim to create a future where people with inflammatory arthritis have access to more personalised and effective treatments at all stages of their condition.
The group hopes to achieve this by identifying where there are strengths and gaps in our knowledge of inflammatory arthritis. We will use this to communicate the importance and need for more research with other organisations that fund or influence inflammatory arthritis research.
We hope this will lead to funding of vital research needed to develop consistent, personalised treatments for people with inflammatory arthritis.
Conditions the group focus on include:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Peripheral and axial spondyloarthritis (also known as ankylosing spondylitis)
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Enteropathic-associated arthritis (arthritis which is linked to bowel disease including Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis)
- Seronegative arthritis (the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis without the presence of certain antibodies in the blood)
- Pathophysiological mechanism of septic arthritis
- Other adult inflammatory arthritis conditions.
Group Lead – Dr Ken Baker
Ken is a Senior Clinical Fellow at Newcastle University and an Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He leads a multidisciplinary and international research programme focused on personalised drug tapering in rheumatoid arthritis remission, where he hopes to be able to identify biomarkers that can predict drug-free remission and flare. He is an advocate for ensuring the voice of patients, carers and the public are heard and placed at the centre of the rheumatology research agenda, and currently co-leads the local Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement in Musculoskeletal Research group at Newcastle.
Group membership
- Dr Ken Baker (AIA RAG Lead). Senior Clinical Fellow - Newcastle University
- Sarah Annalls. Practice Development Nurse - Sciensus
- Dr Lesley-Anne Bissell. NIHR Clinical Lecturer - University of Leeds
- David Chandler. Versus Arthritis Research Partner
- Charlotte Cutts. Versus Arthritis Research Partner
- Professor Carl Goodyear. Professor of Translational Immunology - University of Glasgow
- Dr Pauline Ho. Consultant Rheumatologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer - University of Manchester
- Ruth Hollebon. Versus Arthritis Research Partner
- Professor Nicole Horwood. Professor of Musculoskeletal Medicine - University of East Anglia
- Matt Kaiser. Versus Arthritis Research Partner
- Danielle Kehoe. Versus Arthritis Research Partner
- Dr Andrew Melville. Clinical Research Fellow in Rheumatology - University of Glasgow
- Dr Arthur Pratt. Clinical Senior Lecturer, Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist - Newcastle University
- Linda Strudwick. Versus Arthritis Research Partner
- Dr William Tillett. Senior Lecturer, Consultant Rheumatologist - University of Bath
- Dr Suzanne Verstappen. Reader in Musculoskeletal Epidemiology - University of Manchester
- Dr Su-Ann Yeoh. Rheumatology Speciality Trainee - University College London
Paediatric Rheumatology Clinical Study Group Representative
Dr Josh Bennett. Consultant in Paediatric Rheumatology - Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Joining our Research Advisory Groups
To express an interest in joining a Research Advisory Group, please email awards@versusarthritis.org.