Rate My Professor Andrew Harrison

Associate Professor Andrew Harrison is a rheumatologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Otago, Wellington, within the Faculty of Medicine. He earned his MB ChB and PhD from the University of Otago and holds Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP). As Clinical Head of the Wellington Regional Rheumatology Unit, he practices at Hutt Hospital, Wellington Hospital, Kenepuru Hospital, and Bowen Hospitals. In education, he coordinates the rheumatology component of the 5th year Musculoskeletal Module at the University of Otago Wellington, training future medical professionals. He also serves as a media expert on arthritis and rheumatology service provision.

Harrison's research specializations include gout genetics and pathophysiology, ankylosing spondylitis, and barriers to access to rheumatology treatment. His publications address genetic, clinical, and psychosocial aspects of rheumatic diseases. Key works include: Geddes, L. et al. (2025). 'In axial spondyloarthritis, bowel symptoms identified by questionnaire are prevalent, impact quality of life and correlate with faecal calprotectin and disease activity scores.' Rheumatology, 64(Suppl. 3), P172; Treharne, G.J. et al. (2022). 'Fears about COVID-19 and perceived risk among people with rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis following the initial lockdown in Aotearoa New Zealand.' Musculoskeletal Care, 20, 290-298; Johnstone, G. et al. (2021). 'Mental health and quality of life for people with rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis in Aotearoa New Zealand following the COVID-19 national lockdown.' Rheumatology International, 41, 1763-1772; Benham, H. et al. (2021). 'A patient-centered knowledge translation tool for treat-to-target strategy in rheumatoid arthritis: Patient and rheumatologist perspectives.' International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, 24, 355-363; Hegarty, R.S.M. et al. (2021). 'Understanding fatigue-related disability in rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis: The importance of daily correlates.' Arthritis Care & Research, 73(9), 1282-1289. Earlier contributions include studies on HLA-B27 prevalence in New Zealand (Roberts et al., 2013) and genetic risk factors in rheumatoid arthritis.