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Maarten de Wit

Maarten is a former EULAR Vice President representing People with Arthritis/Rheumatism in Europe (PARE).

He has been active in organisations of patients with rheumatic diseases at local, national and international levels for many years. He was involved in the start of the Bone and Joint Decade in the Netherlands (1999-2005). In the Dutch Reumapatiëntenbond as well as in OMERACT and other international projects he has been actively involved in promoting patient participation in scientific research.

After finishing his MsA study at the University of Amsterdam, he worked for five years in adult education. In 2006 he founded, together with other persons with arthritis, the international network “Tools2use”. The tools provide professional and experience-based training and education for patient representatives.

Maarten has experienced psoriatic arthritis for nearly 30 years and has therefore a personal as well as professional outlook on the condition. For the last five years he has been successfully treated with biological medicines.