Alan Silman

Professor Silman is an Emeritus Professor in the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS). 

Alan is an epidemiologist and a rheumatologist. He was Director of the UK's Arthritis Research Epidemiology Unit in Manchester from 1988-2006 and published over 500 articles in the broad field of arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases.

His research interests spanned inflammatory joint diseases, connective tissue disorders especially scleroderma and Behcets Disease, chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions and osteoporosis and fracture. His methodological interests included pharmaco-epidemiology and the use of drug register, genetics and disease outcome research.

He then became Arthritis Research UK's first medical director, a post he held from 2007 until the end of 2014. In that role he was responsible for the strategic direction of the charity's research activities as well as leading on both health care professional and patient education initiatives.

His research interests are mainly in the field of comorbidities and their relation to health care and health care outcomes and the use of big data to address these issues.

Collaborations include working with Mr Dominique Rothenfluh, spinal surgeon at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, to develop a research programme in the surgery of adult degenerative spine disease.

He has a particular interest in developing research in musculoskeletal disorders in low and middle income countries.

Professor Silman's other roles have included: chair of the NICE Appeal Panels; research lead for the Global Musculoskeletal Alliance; and with collaborators at Green Templeton College leading on a programme on how to enhance the use of patient-lead technologies to improve health.

He was one of the editors of the leading international postgraduate textbook, Rheumatology (7th Ed Elsevier, 2018) and jointly authored the third edition of Epidemiological Studies: A Practical Guide (OUP, 2018).

He has a particular commitment to supporting younger investigators in developing their scientific writing skills and learning how to succeed in achieving research grant awards.