Maarten de Wit

Maarten de Wit has been active in organisations of patients with rheumatic diseases at local, national and international level for more than a decade. From 2005 till 2009 he has been the EULAR Vice President representing people with arthritis/rheumatism in Europe. He has been leading the working group for the EULAR autumn conference for PARE with a strong focus on the importance of access to care, health economics, and arthritis and work.

De Wit organises training courses for persons with a wide range of health conditions aiming at capacity building among patient representatives and their organisations. A specific interest exists for the integration of the end-user perspective in scientific research. Since 2009 Maarten is involved in a PhD study (VU Medical Centre Amsterdam, Department of Medical Humanities), evaluating effective methods of patient participation in arthritis research (Mentors: prof. J.R. Kirwan, Bristol; prof. T.A. Abma, Amsterdam).

Maarten is currently responsible for scientific research and international collaboration within the Dutch League of Arthritis Patient Organisations. He has experienced psoriatic arthritis for over 30 years and is successfully treated with anti-TNFα.