Chair's Welcome letter
Dear BritPracteur,
On behalf of the British Psoriatic Arthritis ConsorTium (BritPACT), a warm welcome.
BritPACT formed in 2014 through the collaboration of clinicians and patient partners with a passion for increasing knowledge, awareness and management of psoriatic arthritis. As of 2020, Brit-PACT is a charity registered in the UK (1189246) with rheumatologist, dermatologist, allied health professional and patient partner members, developed to facilitate and advance research and best practice in psoriatic arthritis in the United Kingdom
We presently have 116 members including doctors, trainees, allied health care professionals and patient partners. As a member we encourage you to partake in our annual “Frontiers in Psoriatic arthritis meetings”. These meetings are free to attend thanks to the support from industry grants.
Additionally, we hope you will develop and support our initiatives to improve care in Psoriatic arthritis.
Should you wish to become a member please email info@britpact.org with the contributions you would like to make to BritPACT.
Yours sincerely,
BritPACT Steering Committee
Mission statement
To facilitate and advance research and best practice in psoriatic arthritis in the United Kingdom.
Terms of reference:
• To bring together UK individuals with an interest in PsA
• To create a UK infrastructure to undertake studies in PsA
• To collaborate in studies improving knowledge and outcome in PsA
• To develop and execute research ideas in PsA
• To engage with ARUK clinical study group to facilitate research in PsA
• To engage with the Translational Research Partnerships in PsA
• To collaborate with BRIT-SPA
• To collaborate with GRAPPA
• To engage with relevant dermatology stakeholders
• To develop and disseminate knowledge around PsA and comorbidities
• To ensure patient and public involvement at all levels
Steering committee members
Dr Nicola Gullick (Chair)
Nicola Gullick studied medicine at the University of Nottingham. She completed general medical training in the West Midlands and trained in Rheumatology in South London.
She completed a PhD under the supervision of Leonie Taams and Bruce Kirkham, investigating relationships between MRI and power Doppler ultrasound and the presence of cytokine (including interleukin-17) producing cells in synovial fluid and tissue from patients with inflammatory arthritis.
Nicola was an NIHR Clinical Lecturer at King’s College London before becoming a Consultant Rheumatologist at King’s College Hospital, where she ran the Psoriatic Arthritis service for 5 years.
Nicola is now a Consultant Rheumatologist at University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire and is the department lead for R&D, biologic therapies, psoriatic arthritis.
Clare Allen (Patient Representative)
Clare is married with tw
o boys, and lives in Cambridgeshire. Originally trained as a vet, she started teaching vet students after 10 years in equine practice in the US, and went on to earn her PhD in higher education in 2013. She returned to the UK to become Deputy Head of Teaching at the Vet School at the University of Cambridge, but took a career break in 2019 to home educate her autistic son. She now does consulting work on professional education and equality and diversity issues in higher education.
She was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis 2 years ago, after several years of confusion about where all the aches and pains were coming from, and was fortunate to be enrolled in the Monitor study. This has lead to excellent care for her disease. She loves to swim outdoors in the fens and write bad poetry.
Dr James Bluett
Dr James Bluett (MBBS, MRes, MSc, PhD) is a senior clinical lecturer and honorary consultant in rheumatology at the University of Manchester. James has a specialist interest in interventions to improve treatment response in inflammatory arthritis and is an experienced chief investigator. In 2016 he completed his PhD investigating methotrexate adherence in rheumatoid arthritis and the genetics of methotrexate-pneumonitis. He oversees a large multi-centre observational psoriatic arthritis study (OUTPASS). He has presented his research at national and international conferences and has collaborated internationally.
Dr Laura Coates
Laura Coates is a National Institute for Health Research Clinical Lecturer based at the Unviersity of Leeds in the Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine.
Laura’s research centres on psoriatic arthritis and the spondyloarthritides and her interests include early diagnosis of PsA, development of PsA specific and validated outcome measures, optimal treatment pathways and the concept of treating to target in PsA. She has developed and validated screening questionnaires to identify PsA. She has experience in outcome measures development and has been involved in the development and validation of novel clinical and imaging outcome measures, including the minimal disease activity (MDA) criteria for PsA. She is the first author of the Tight Control of Psoriatic Arthritis (TICOPA) study, the first study to address treating to target in PsA which improved clinical and patient reported outcomes.
Laura sits on the Steering Committee of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) and the British PsA Consortium (BritPACT). She was first author on the 2015 GRAPPA treatment recommendations for psoriasis and PsA and is also involved in the GRAPPA/OMERACT initiative to refine the core set of outcome measures for PsA.
Dr Ashley Elliott
I am a Consultant Rheumatologist at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and clinical academic at Queen’s University Belfast. I have always had a strong interest in Psoriatic Disease. Through my work with GRAPPA I have been part of both treatment guideline groups for the management of enthesitis in psoriatic arthritis and also ultrasound study groups trying to come up with better answers for patients living with psoriatic arthritis. As a trainee I helped to establish our tight control PsA clinic in Belfast and then developed a research protocol to assess patients with PsA. This formed the basis of my PhD completed in 2023 that was entitled ‘Evaluating Ultrasound Confirmed enthesitis as a predictive marker of response to biologic therapy in Psoriatic Arthritis’ linking data from clinical, imaging and laboratory analysis at Queen’s University Belfast. The work was supported by grants from the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance, BMA and GRAPPA and I was awarded the young investigator of the year award at the Irish Society for Rheumatology annual meeting in 2022.
I am keen to provide the best care for our patients in Northern Ireland and link our local research infrastructure with international experts centres across the British Isles. I have gained experience sitting on national committees for BSR including being both the NI representative on the trainee committee and on the Clinical Affairs Committee. I am currently a member of the Digital Learning Board committee at BSR. I would like to enhance research links specifically for PsA at a national level and deliver better outcomes for our patients by being a part of the Brit-PACT steering committee and help to shape its future.
Dr Tania Gudu
Tania Gudu is a Rheumatology Consultant working at Ipswich Hospital, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) and she is also an Honorary Consultant at Addenebrookes Hospital, Cambridge. Tania undertook her rheumatology training in Romania and France and she has completed her PhD thesis on the topic of ‘Impact of Psoriatic Arthritis’ (Romania/ France, 2018).
Tania leads the spondyloarthritis (SpA) service within the Rheumatology Department at Ipswich Hospital, where she runs weekly SpA clinics and multidisciplinary meetings for SpA patients with colleagues from physiotherapy, dermatology, and gastroenterology, respectively. Tania is actively involved in clinical research. She is the principal investigator of several academic studies on psoriatic arthritis (PsA). She has recently established a collaboration with the Department of Psychology at University of Essex working on psychology projects related to inflammatory arthritis, in particular SpA and PsA (as part of EEPRU, Essex ESNEFT Psychological Research Unit for Behaviour, Health and Wellbeing).
She has a special interest in psoriatic arthritis (PsA), with a focus on patient perspective/ patient reported outcomes, multidisciplinary working and imaging in PsA. She is very passionate about patient education and patient involvement in research.
Dr Philip Helliwell
Philip Helliwell PhD, DM, FRCP is currently Senior Lecturer in Rheumatology at the University of Leeds, in the UK, and Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist for the Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust.
Previous and current appointments include: Member of NHS R&D Research Committee on Physical and Complex Disabilities, Member of the Executive Council, Centre for Biomechanics and Medical Engineering; Treasurer and Member of Executive Committee, Society for Back Pain Research; Member of Education Committee, Arthritis Research Campaign; and Editor for the ARC Patient Information Leaflets and Convener Publications Working Group, Member of the Heberden Committee, at the British Society for Rheumatology, Member of Council at the British Society for Rheumatology.
Dr Helliwell is a member of ASAS (Assessment of Spondyloarthropathy Society) and co-founder and Vice President of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic arthritis (GRAPPA). He has worked with GRAPPA in developing single and composite outcome measures in psoriatic arthritis and has just recruited the first treat to target study in early psoriatic arthritis – due for publication in 2013.
Dr Helliwell is co-founder and co-lead for the Bradford (University) Diploma in Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Medicine and is an active member of the Bradford and Airedale Musculoskeletal Alliance, a tier 2 service provided to GPs in the designated geographical area.
Current and past research: treatment paradigms, clinical features and classification of psoriatic arthritis; treatment paradigms in psoriatic arthritis; biomechanics of joints, gait assessment and foot disorders in inflammatory and non-inflammatory arthritis, epidemiology of rheumatic disease and community based studies of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
Prof Pauline Ho
Prof Pauline Ho BSc, MBBCh, MSc, PhD, FRCP has been a Consultant Rheumatologist at Manchester Royal Infirmary since 2007, and became an Honorary Professor after being awarded a Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC) Honorary Clinical Chair in 2023 by The University of Manchester's Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health for outstanding contribution to rheumatology, including excellence in research and education.
She received her undergraduate medical degree from the University of Wales College of Medicine in Cardiff with Honours, where she also received funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to complete an intercalated degree in Biochemistry. She subsequently undertook specialist training in Rheumatology in the Northwest of England and completed a Masters in Science degree in Clinical Rheumatology in 2002. She was subsequently awarded a Clinical Research Training Fellowship from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to complete a PhD investigating the genetics of Psoriatic Arthritis at The University of Manchester which was awarded in 2007.
She is involved in both basic science research in psoriatic arthritis at The University of Manchester and is principal investigator for clinical research studies, both academic and commercial, observational and investigative medicines, Phase II and above, in particular those involving ultrasound and ultrasound guided synovial biopsy studies at the Kellgren Centre for Rheumatology in Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Dr Ryan Hum
Dr Ryan Hum ARCT, MBChB, MRes, MRCP(UK) is a Speciality Registrar in Rheumatology in Manchester & an Honorary Academic Clinical Fellow within the Centre for Musculoskeletal Research at The University of Manchester. He received his medical degree from The University of Manchester in 2018 during which he completed the European Studies (Medical French) programme undertaking 6 months of clinical placements in hospitals in France and Quebec (Paris, Marseille and Montreal) including an ERASMUS placement at Universite Paris Descartes.
He subsequently completed the 2-year UK foundation programme in Cheshire, before securing an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship to undertake academic clinical training in Rheumatology.
His research is supervised by Prof Pauline Ho and Prof Anne Barton and relates to using ultrasound, synovial biopsy, genomics, immunology, and bioinformatics to explore the causes of inflammation in inflammatory arthritis, especially Psoriatic Arthritis.
Outside of medicine, he received training in piano performance, music history and theory at The Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, Canada, and received an Associate Degree (Distinction) in 2012. He remains a dedicated amateur.
Dr Muhamad Jasim
Rheumatology and Acute Medical Consultant at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS trust where he leads the Psoriatic Arthritis Treat to Target service at the trust. He has developed an innovative fast track PsA one stop shop clinic pathway with integration of musculoskeletal ultrasound. Muhamad previously completed a musculoskeletal ultrasound fellowship scanning patients with known psoriasis but no diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis . He has twice been awarded with Brit-PACT clinician prize.
Muhamad completed his medicine degree as well as a Masters in Medical Ethics and Law at Keele University. He went onto train in general medicine and rheumatology in the West Midlands. He is passionate about helping improve patient care especially for those suffering with Psoriatic arthritis.
Andy Kelly
Being treated for psoriasis, PSA and being a chartered physiotherapist has given me a unique perspective into the role of both patient and professional in the management of the conditions. A recent patient partner role involvement in the James Lind PSP for the top 10 research priorities for PSA has enabled me to become more involved in a collaborative approach to help guide developments for management and research.
Dr Sandeep Mukherjee
Sandeep Mukherjee MBBS, MRCP (Rheum), MA (Med Ed), FRCP is a consultant rheumatologist at the University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust. He has a special interest in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and has set up a weekly PsA clinic at Christchurch Hospital. In addition, with the help of a Health Education England (Wessex) Quality Improvement fellowship, he and his team have successfully implemented iPad-based assessments in this clinic aiming for Minimal Disease Activity (MDA) as well as initiated a quarterly combined clinic with the dermatologists.
He has also set up the Wessex Psoriatic Disease Network to facilitate collaborative working between the dermatologists and rheumatologists in the region. He has earnestly contributed to Brit-PACT’s JLA Priority Setting Partnership for PsA and has been a member of the GRAPPA 2021 treatment recommendations working group on nail disease.
Sandeep is actively involved in research and is the PI for the BSR-PsA study. He also has a Masters in Medical Education and provides educational supervision to the specialty trainees in rheumatology.
Dr Jon Packham
Jon Packham BM, FRCP, DM is currently honorary Senior Lecturer in Rheumatology at Keele University, Stoke-on-Trent UK and Consultant Rheumatologist at the Haywood Hospital for the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Partnership (SSoTP) NHS Trust, with specialist interests in spondyloarthropathy and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Previous and current appointments include: member of the Heberden Committee at the British Society for Rheumatology (BSR), member of BSR Council, West Midlands regional BSR chair, vice chair for the BSR biologics registries subcommittee, member of the National Integrated Care working group, medical advisor for JIA to National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, member of NICE guideline development groups ‘Spondyloarthropathies’ and ‘Depression in chronic disease’, BSR national gout audit co-lead, secretary for the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology (BSPAR) and rheumatology regional specialist advisor for the Royal College of Physicians.
Dr Packham is a member of Arthritis Research UK Spondyloarthropathy clinical studies group and founder member of BritPACT. He is associate medical director of research for SSoTP NHS trust and an active member of the Keele Haywood Rheumatology Academic Group, working closely with the Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre at Keele University.
Current and past research: psychological outcomes in inflammatory arthritis, quality of life and fatigue in spondyloarthropathy, long term outcomes in juvenile arthritis, treatment paradigms for psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthropathy, biomarkers for disease outcome in inflammatory arthritis and community based studies of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
Dr William Tillett
Dr William Tillett graduated from the University of Bristol with a BSc in Anatomical Science before undertaking his medical degree at the same institution. He undertook his doctoral fellowship in outcome measurement in psoriatic arthritis.
William became a member of BritPACT in 2016 and has been an active member contributing to the organisation of the AGM in 2020 and 2022. William leads the BritPACT SEQUENCE project to evaluate access and response to advanced lines of biologic drugs.
William has published more than 360 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters or conference proceedings on the assessment and treatment of psoriatic arthritis. His research and clinical interests centre on precision medicine through improved assessment of psoriatic arthritis (clinical, radiographic, and patient reported outcomes), early detection of disease, and treatment strategies. He is Chief Investigator for a portfolio of clinical and commercial research trials including the Bath Psoriatic Arthritis Biobank.
William was awarded a European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) Clinical Scientist award in 2015. He co-authored the 2013 British Society of Rheumatology (BSR) psoriatic arthritis Biologics guidelines and co-chaired the 2023 update. William sits on the steering committee for the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) and chairs the peripheral arthritis domain of the 2024 GRAPPA treatment recommendations update group. He is a co-chair of the international psoriatic arthritis Outcome Measurement in Rheumatology (OMERACT) working group. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Rheumatology. William is currently on the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) patient involvement taskforce to improve meaningful patient representation in Psoriatic arthritis research. He is a trustee for the Bath Institute for Rheumatic Diseases (BIRD).
Sponsorship
Brit-PACT obtain funds to help support meetings, educational and research activities to increase it’s impact nationally and internationally.
Pharmaceutical companies support us via educational grants, these companies have had no editorial control over Brit-PACT’s research and educational events.
The current companies supporting Brit-PACT's activities this calendar year can be found on our events page.