Rate My Professor Rebecca Grainger

Professor Rebecca Grainger is Professor of Rheumatology in the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Otago, Wellington, where she serves as Head of the Department of Medicine. A University of Otago medical graduate, she earned MBChB with Distinction and BMedSci with Distinction. She completed rheumatology specialist training in Melbourne, Australia, and obtained her PhD from the University of Otago examining inflammatory mechanisms in gout. Grainger holds professional qualifications including FRACP, FHiNZ, and MInstD. Promoted to full professor in 2021, she combines her academic career with clinical practice as a rheumatologist at Te Whatu Ora Capital Coast and Hutt Valley. Passionate about patient-focused care, she engages with primary and secondary care colleagues to improve rheumatology services.

Grainger's academic interests center on clinical rheumatology, specializing in gout, inflammatory arthritis, and scleroderma. She researches the development and evaluation of mobile health tools to support clinical care and patient self-management in rheumatic diseases. Additional focuses include social media applications for participatory health and medical education, active learning enhancement in health professions training, outcome measures for musculoskeletal and rheumatic conditions, and digital health technologies. Key publications feature 'Rheumatology services in Aotearoa New Zealand: Do they meet Arthritis New Zealand/New Zealand Rheumatology Association-endorsed service standards?' (New Zealand Medical Journal, 2025), 'Lupus nephritis outcomes in Aotearoa New Zealand: A retrospective case series' (Lupus, 2026), 'Participant experiences of the Knee Care for Arthritis through Pharmacy Service (KneeCAPS)' (Osteoarthritis & Cartilage Open, 2026), 'Apps for People With Rheumatoid Arthritis to Monitor Their Disease Activity: User Requirements and Design Considerations' (JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2017), and 'Characteristics associated with hospitalisation for COVID-19 in people with rheumatic disease' (Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2020). Her work contributes significantly to advancing rheumatology practice, education, and health technology in New Zealand and globally.