Suzanne Verstappen

Suzanne Verstappen is a Professor of Epidemiology in the Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, School of Biological Sciences at the University of Manchester. She serves as Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for the School and leads internationally recognized research on long-term outcomes in inflammatory arthritis, with focus on worker productivity loss, functional disability, and comorbidities.

Her educational background includes a Master's degree in Human Movement Sciences (Health Sciences) from the Free University of Amsterdam and a PhD from the University of Utrecht, Netherlands, followed by postdoctoral research at Utrecht Medical Center investigating rheumatoid arthritis outcomes.

Professor Verstappen's research program centers on predictors of presenteeism, absenteeism, and functional decline in inflammatory arthritis patients. She directs the international study on work productivity in arthritis and the national Rheumatoid Arthritis Medication Study (RAMS), addressing critical gaps in understanding how arthritis impacts employment and daily functioning through large-scale epidemiological investigations.

Her recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate strong interdisciplinary work spanning rheumatology, epidemiology, and biostatistics. Key themes include occupational health impacts of arthritis, genetic determinants of disease progression, and methodological advances in clinical prediction modeling, reflecting her leadership in multinational collaborations across Europe and North America.

While no specific awards are listed, she holds influential roles including Convener of the EULAR Task Force on Work, Chair of the OMERACT Worker Productivity group, and membership in the WHO Rehabilitation Package development group for rheumatoid arthritis.

She has supervised 14 students and leads major projects including the RAMS study and international productivity research, with funding from Versus Arthritis, MRC, and Arthritis Research UK. Her co-investigator roles include the British Society for Rheumatology Register and the MRC Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work.

Her work operates within the Centre for Musculoskeletal Research at Manchester, part of the Versus Arthritis-funded Centre for Epidemiology. She leads the EULAR Public Health in Rheumatic Disorders study group, driving international efforts to translate research into public health interventions for rheumatic diseases.