Levelling the playing field of RMD research across Europe to address patients’ needs: the emerging EULAR Research Centre

Reuter, K., Haupt, C., Molto, A., Cope, A., van Vollenhoven, R. F., Elewaut, D., Lories, R. and McInnes, I. B. (2022) Levelling the playing field of RMD research across Europe to address patients’ needs: the emerging EULAR Research Centre. RMD Open, 8(2), e002456. (doi: 10.1136/rmdopen-2022-002456) (PMID:35714997) (PMCID:PMC9207999)

Abstract

Herein, we describe the Research Centre launched by the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) in 2020. The Centre aims to facilitate collaborative research on rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) across Europe. RMDs disable millions of people in Europe and worldwide. Despite progress with improved therapeutics and strategic interventions in several RMDs, there are no cures, and their collective impact remains substantial. Access to RMD-related care, policies prioritizing RMDs, and related research, education, training, and funding differ significantly across European countries. Building a new equipoise in opportunity and capacity across Europe will facilitate optimal understanding of those different factors that influence the epidemiology, pathogenesis, treatment, and outcomes in RMDs. The EULAR Research Centre aims to address the significant barriers to accelerating RMD research across Europe. It provides an RMD research roadmap of unmet needs, expert services, infrastructures, networks, research resources, training, education, and mentoring. It will place RMD research in the ideal position to benefit from forthcoming remarkable advances in digital, biological, and social science anticipated in the coming decades.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: McInnes, Professor Iain
• Authors: Reuter, K., Haupt, C., Molto, A., Cope, A., van Vollenhoven, R. F., Elewaut, D., Lories, R., and McInnes, I. B.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity
• Research Centre: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity > Centre for Immunobiology
• Journal Name: RMD Open
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• ISSN: 2056-5933
• ISSN (Online): 2056-5933
• Published Online: 17 June 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in RMD Open 8(2): e002456
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License