Pronouns: she/her

Dr. Lianne Kearsley-Fleet is an epidemiologist with extensive experience of epidemiological research in children, young people, and adults with rheumatic diseases. 

Lianne is now co-lead on the UK JIA Biologics Register, and in 2023 was successfully awarded a £750,000 five-year Versus Arthritis Career Development Fellowship to establish a strong epidemiological evidence-base for the long-term outcomes of children and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in adulthood. Read more about the project here! 

She has over 50 original research publications, one of which she led investigating COVID-19 outcomes in children with rheumatic diseases (part of the EULAR COVID-19 Registry).

Previous research has involved investigating the effectiveness of biologic and JAK inhibitor therapy in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for Rheumatoid Arthritis (BSRBR-RA), and children and young people with JIA using the UK JIA Biologics Register (including BCRD, and BSPAR-ETN). 

@KearsleyFleet

Lianne completed her BSc (Hons) in BioVeterinary Science at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London in 2009. Following 15 months as a laboratory assistant for Pfizer Animal Health, she returned to London and completed a MSc in Veterinary Epidemiology in 2011 at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She worked as a research assistant in the Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health Group at the Royal Veterinary College before moving to the Centre for Musculoskeletal Research at The University of Manchester as a research assistant in 2012. After seven years in this role, Lianne completed her PhD by Publication in 2019 titled "Real-world effectiveness of biologic therapies in children and adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis in the United Kingdom", and was promoted to research associate.

In 2023, Lianne was promoted to research fellow and succesfully secured a £750'000 Versus Arthritis Career Development Fellowship: "Planning for a future without fear: Epidemiological investigations of long-term health-related outcomes in adults with JIA". 

• PhD in Epidemiology (2019) - The University of Manchester. 
• MSc in Veterinary Epidemiology (2011) - Joint course: Royal Veterinary College and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London.
• BSc (Hons) in BioVeterinary Science (2009) - Royal Veterinary College, University of London.

• Fellow of Advanced Higher Education (FHEA)
• Lecturer: Masters for Experimental Medicine, Masters for Clinical Rheumatology, Centre for Epidemiology "Introduction to Epidemiology" course.
• Course programme lead: Centre for Epidemiology "Applied Epidemiology and Biostatistics" course. 
• Tutor: Second year BioMedical Science students. 

• Versus Arthritis Paediatric Rheumatology Clinical Studies Group member. 
• Member of Barbara Ansell National Network for Adolescent Rheumatology (BANNAR). 
• Member of the Paediatric Rheumatology European Society (PReS).
• Member of EULAR-EMEUNET, a network of early-career rheumatology researchers across Europe. Specifically, co-lead for the social media sub-committee; 2019 to 2023.  

• Volunteer for local career fairs at primary schools as an epidemiologist.
• Volunteered to present a lighting talk for the School of Biological Sciences annual event 2019.
• Contributed to the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) magazine with a lay summary of a recent scientific publication to disseminate the reuslts of my research to the public. 
• Administrator for the adult and paediatric biologic registers Twitter feed, promoting research and networking with other researchers and organisations.
• Created a YouTube video that explined by research from the paediatric biologic registers.
• Create infographics and write lay summaries for dissemination to the public.

• Won "Best Clinical Abstract" at PReS 2021.
• Won “EULAR Abstract Awards 2019 in Clinical Science” at PReS/EULAR 2019.
• PReS/EULAR 2019 Travel Bursary. 
• Publication selected by The University of Manchester for presentation on the “4cite: Publications showcase” in Spring 2019. 
• Publication selected by The University of Manchester for presentation on the “4cite: Publications showcase” in Autumn 2018.
• Won “Best Poster Presentation” at BSPAR 2015.

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECTS

Dr Kearsley-Fleet was lead data analyst with the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) COVID-19 Registry, providing regular reports throughout the pandemic. She led a publication on COVID-19 outcomes in children with rheumatic diseases.

CONFERENCES

Invited speaker:

• BSR 2024 (Liverpool): Long-term outcomes in JIA - what can we do better? 
• EULAR 2023 (Milan): Is sustained remission achievable in RA and JIA?
• PReS 2022 (Prague): Biologic switching for the treatment of JIA.

My first-author work has been presented as oral and poster presentations at national and internation conferences, including: 

• American College of Rheumatology (ACR): 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018.
• British Society for Rheumatology - Paediatric and Adolescent (was BSPAR), including research days: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024. 
• British Society for Rheumatology (BSR): 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2023.
• Central Manchester Foundation Trust (CMFT): 2013.
• European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR): 2013, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023.
• Paediatric Rheumatology European Society (PReS), including young investigators meeting: 2014, 2019, 2021, 2023.
• UK-RIME, epidemiology in muscukoskeletal annual meeting: 2024. 

Lianne also chaired an oral abstract session at EULAR (Madrid 2019). 

November 2023: Recorded a podcast for Rheumatology to talk about: Switching from etanercept originator to etanercept biosimilar in adults with RA. Link to follow. 

January 2023: Recorded a podcast for Rheumatology to talk about recent publication: Stopping biologic therapy for remission in children and young people JIA. Link to follow. 

June 2019: Interviewed regarding my research for EULAR TV as a research highlight at EULAR/PReS 2019, Madrid. 

Publications have been highlighted by various news sources including MedPage Today, Medscape, Healio Rheumatology and Rheumatology News.