Dr Joanna MacGowan

Dr Joanna MacGowan has amassed 24 years of experience as a Consultant Rheumatologist and holds Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians. Since her appointment as consultant in 2002, Dr MacGowan has overseen the care of patients with complex rheumatological conditions while simultaneously redesigning and modernising the services that deliver that care. As Clinical Lead for the department, she is responsible for upholding clinical standards, embedding evidence‑based practice, and steering quality, safety and performance initiatives across the service. During her specialist registrar training in the London North Thames region she attained dual accreditation in acute general medicine and rheumatology, serving in the rheumatology department of Middlesex University Hospital where she managed a full spectrum of connective‑tissue diseases—including systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis and idiopathic inflammatory myositis. She subsequently broadened her expertise at the tertiary Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, gaining particular proficiency in metabolic bone disease and osteoporosis.

Dr MacGowan’s clinical interests encompass virtually the entire rheumatology spectrum. She maintains a particular focus on rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthropathy and osteoporosis, as well as systemic autoimmune disorders including systemic lupus erythematosus, myositis, systemic sclerosis, Sjögren’s syndrome and undifferentiated connective tissue disease. Her expertise extends to systemic vasculitides (e.g., granulomatosis with polyangiitis and giant‑cell arteritis), metabolic bone disease, chronic pain syndromes (fibromyalgia), crystal arthropathies (gout) and a range of soft‑tissue rheumatic conditions. This breadth of interest informs both her clinical decision‑making and her leadership of multidisciplinary pathways for complex patients.

In her role as Clinical Lead for Rheumatology, Dr MacGowan maintains departmental standards, ensures adherence to evidence based protocols and oversees quality, safety and performance metrics. She instituted a monthly multidisciplinary team meeting to review patients with complex disease, and created a rapid access temporal artery ultrasound service that has markedly shortened diagnostic times for giant cell arteritis while reducing unnecessary steroid exposure and follow up appointments. She pioneered patient initiated follow up pathways for stable inflammatory arthritis, improving access for those with active disease. Currently she is leading the development of a comprehensive Fracture Liaison and Osteoporosis Service to close system level gaps in secondary fracture prevention. Earlier, in partnership with a local Clinical Commissioning Group, she helped launch a Local Enhanced Service for DMARD prescribing and monitoring and designed an MSK referral pathway. Her postgraduate certificate in Extreme Medicine, with a focus on crisis resource management, underpins her expertise in high stakes decision making and human factors analysis.

Dr MacGowan is an active participant in clinical research, recruiting and following patients for several multicentre trials, presently including the LEADER and REMORA 2 studies. She contributes to regional and national audit programmes and is a recruiter for the National Early Inflammatory Arthritis (NEIA) audit, thereby helping shape evidence based practice at a population level.

Dr MacGowan’s publication record spans original research, scholarly reviews and invited talks. A full list available on request.

A dedicated educator, Dr MacGowan delivers undergraduate medical education through theme based seminars and bedside teaching for fourth and fifth year students, and serves as an examiner for final examinations. She supervises specialist nurse practitioners and allied health professionals, and provides a quarterly rheumatology seminar for core medical trainees at the Northern Care Alliance. Past teaching responsibilities have included MRCP/PACES preparation, faculty membership for the Full Immersion Simulation programme for foundation and core medical trainees at North Middlesex University Hospital (2006 2012), and a guest lecture series at St George’s Medical School in St Vincent (2004). She completed the Teaching Improvement Programme System (TIPS) course in 2009, further enhancing her pedagogic skill set.

Dr MacGowan has completed the Cardiff University Bond Solon Expert Witness Certificate (CUBS). Dr MacGowan enjoys receiving instructions from both Claimant and Defendant law firms in personal injury and clinical negligence cases.