Anthony D. Woolf BSc, MBBS, FRCP

Professor Anthony Woolf is Honorary Professor of Rheumatology, University of Exeter Medical School, and Plymouth Peninsula Medical and Dental College, and Clinical Director of the NHS National Institute of Health Research Clinical Research Network Southwest Peninsula. He is Chair of the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance, UK (ARMA). He is editor-in-chief of Best Practice and Research Clinical Rheumatology. He has long been involved in initiatives to raise awareness of the impact of musculoskeletal conditions and priority for education, prevention, treatment and research at a national, European and global level. He is a founder member and Past Chair of the Global Alliance for Musculoskeletal Health.
He leads the Bone and Joint Monitor Project, a global health needs assessment that provides the evidence base for action working in partnership with experts and organisations globally. This has included identifying the burden of musculoskeletal conditions through the Global Burden of Disease project and developing strategies for their prevention and control through EU funded projects. He works internationally with WHO and EU and nationally with NHS England, Public Health England and Department of Work and Pensions to ensure musculoskeletal health is in all policies - health, social and employment. In particular he is working with UK policy makers on initiatives to promote healthy active ageing, increase physical activity, improve management of musculoskeletal conditions and to reduce the impact that these conditions have on people's ability to work. This has included developing the PHE/BITC MSK Toolkit for Employers.