Personal profile
Overview
I am a Professor of Epidemiology in the Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, School of Biological Sciences.
I am an Epidemiologist with a main research interest in the longterm outcomes such as worker productivity loss, functional disability and co-morbidities and its predictors in patients with adult and juvenile onset inflammatory arthritis.
I am the Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the School of Biological Sciences.
I am Deputy Director of the Centre for Musculoskeletal Research.
Biography
I completed my Masters degree in Human Movement Sciences, main topic Health Sciences, Free University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I was awarded my PhD by the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands, and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Utrecht Medical Center investigating clinical and economic outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
I joined the Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis in 2007. I am the principal investigator of several national and international multi-centre studies.
- PI national multi-centre study investigating the impact of juvenile onset rheumatic diseases on education, vocation and employment.
- PI international study investigating at-work productivity loss (i.e. presenteeism) and absenteeism in patients with inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis.
- PI national Rheumatoid Arthritis Medication Study (RAMS) investigating response, adherence and adverse events to methotrexate therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Memberships of committees and professional bodies
- Member World Health Organisation (WHO) Package of Interventions for Rehabilitation: Development group for Rheumatoid Arthritis (May 2020 - 2021)
- Convener European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) Task Force on Work
- Chair Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Worker Productivity group
- Convener EULAR Task Force 'EULAR Points to consider for lifestyle behaviour to prevent progression of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases'.
- Lead EULAR study group Public Health in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Disorders.
- Member EULAR points to consider when designing, analyzing and reporting studies with work as outcome among patients with inflammatory arthritis.
- Member Dutch Society for Epidemiology
External positions
Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms
- Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 14 Life Below Water -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Inflammation response criteria for rheumatoid arthritis based on the two-component disease activity score
Stadler, M., Rivellese, F., Plant, D., Nair, N., Hyrich, K., Isaacs, J., Morgan, A., Wilson, A., Verstappen, S., Lewis, M. J., Bowes, J., Pitzalis, C. & Barton, A., 8 Feb 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: RMD Open.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Understanding decision-making in large organisations around implementing workplace initiatives to mitigate the impact of musculoskeletal diseases: A qualitative study
Eden, M., Wainwright, E., Higgerson, J., Madan, I., Payne, K., Whittaker, W. & Verstappen, S. M., 17 Apr 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Work. p. 10519815261439034Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Comparative Effectiveness of Abatacept Versus Adalimumab in Shared Epitope Positive and Negative Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Yap, C. F., Nair, N., Sharma, S. D., Bowes, J., Ariff, A. B. M., Morgan, A. W., Isaacs, J. D., Wilson, A. G., Hyrich, K. L., Verstappen, S., Bluett, J., Morris, A. P., Barton, A., Plant, D. & Viatte, S., 23 Sept 2025, In: Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.).Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Disparities in the access to and use of biologic and targeted synthetic treatments in patients with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases: a scoping review
Verstappen, S., Dec 2025, In: EULAR Rheumatology Open.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
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Predictors of Presenteeism Over Time in Patients with Inflammatory Arthritis and Non-Inflammatory Arthritis in Europe and Canada
Macintyre (BSc (Hons), MRes), V., Boonen, A., Lacaille, D., Wilkinson, S., Lunt, M., Shoop-Worrall, S., Canas de Silva, J., Crepaldi, G., Dadoun, S., Hagel, S., Mihai, C., Ramiro, S., Sakellariou, G., Meisalu, S., Wallman, J. K. & Verstappen, S., 18 Jun 2025, In: Annals of the rheumatic diseases. 83, Supplement 1, p. 25-26 2 p., OP0386.Research output: Contribution to journal › Meeting Abstract › peer-review
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Musculoskeletal Epidemiology Versus Arthritis - Better lives, Safer journey
Hyrich, K. (PI), Verstappen, S. (CoI), Jani, M. (CoI), Shoop-Worrall, S. (CoI), Humphreys, J. H. (CoI), Kearsley-Fleet, L. (CoI) & Thomson, A. (CoI)
1/05/25 → 30/04/30
Project: Research
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Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis.
Dixon, W. (PI), Bruce, I. (CoI), Felson, D. (CoI), Hyrich, K. (CoI), Lunt, M. (CoI), Mcbeth, J. (CoI), Mcdonagh, J. (CoI), O'Neill, T. (CoI), Sergeant, J. (CoI), Verstappen, S. (CoI) & Serafimova, I. (Support team)
1/08/18 → 31/07/26
Project: Research
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Childhood Arthritis Prospective Study (CAPS).
Thomson, W. (CoI), Hyrich, K. (PI), Verstappen, S. (CoI) & Kearsley-Fleet, L. (Researcher)
1/01/14 → 30/01/30
Project: Research
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British Society for Rheumatology Rheumatoid Arthritis Register (BSRBR-RA)
Hyrich, K. (PI), Watson, K. (Support team), Mowbray, K. (Support team), Kearsley-Fleet, L. (CoI), Lunt, M. (CoI) & Verstappen, S. (CoI)
Project: Research
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Centre for Musculoskeletal Research
Barton, A. (PI), Bluett, J. (PI), Bowes, J. (PI), Bruce, I. (PI), Buch, M. (PI), Chinoy, H. (PI), Eyre, S. (PI), Herrick, A. (PI), Hughes, M. (PI), Humphreys, J. H. (PI), Hyrich, K. (PI), Jani, M. (PI), Kearsley-Fleet, L. (PI), Lee, R. (PI), Lunt, M. (PI), Martin, P. (PI), Morris, A. (PI), Murray, A. (PI), O'Neill, T. (PI), Orozco, G. (PI), Plant, D. (PI), Shoop-Worrall, S. (PI), Verstappen, S. (PI) & Viatte, S. (PI)
Project: Research
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Versus Arthritis (External organisation)
Verstappen, S. (Academic expert member)
2020 → …Activity: Membership › Membership of committee › Research
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Australian Arthritis Advisory Group (External organisation)
Verstappen, S. (Academic expert member)
2019 → …Activity: Membership › Membership of committee › Research
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COS for work (External organisation)
Verstappen, S. (Academic expert member)
2019 → …Activity: Membership › Membership of committee › Research
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EULAR Task Force work outcomes
Verstappen, S. (Other)
2019 → 2020Activity: Internal positions, CPD, programme/unit design, other peer review and other › Other › Research
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EULAR Task Force implementation
Verstappen, S. (Other)
2019 → 2020Activity: Internal positions, CPD, programme/unit design, other peer review and other › Other › Research
Impacts
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Improving treatment outcomes for patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Symmons, D. (Participant), Silman, A. (Participant), Hyrich, K. (Participant), Lunt, M. (Participant), Dixon, W. (Participant) & Verstappen, S. (Participant)
Impact: Health impacts, Societal impacts, Economic impacts
Press/Media
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Have 10-year outcomes changed in patients with early inflammatory arthritis
1/09/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Blogs and social media