Prof. David ISENBERG (UK)

Professor Isenberg graduated from St Bartholomew’s Hospital in 1973. Trained in General Medicine, Rheumatology, Neurology, Psychiatry and Gastroenterology becoming a Research Fellow at UCL/the Middlesex Hospital in 1979. Awarded an MD Thesis (in 1984), based on studies of myositis. During a year of research at Tufts University, Boston, he became interested in autoantibody structure/function and origin. Appointed Consultant Rheumatologist in November 1984 becoming a professor in 1991 and was given the arc’s Diamond Jubilee chair of Rheumatology at UCL London in 1996. Has been elected to Fellowships of both the Royal College of Physicians and the Academy of Medical Sciences. His specialist involvement is in autoimmune rheumatic diseases, notably Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Sjogren’s Syndrome, Myositis and the Anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome.

His principal clinical interests have been in the development of disease activity and damage assessment tools in patients with lupus. Chair of the British Isles Assessment Group and also the Chair (1998-2003) of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics group (SLICC). Has undertaken many roles for the arc in the past 20 years and is the past president of the British Society for Rheumatism (2004-2006) and is currently chairing the Society’s Biologics Register Committee.