Dr Anita Lim is a rheumatologist with 30 years of experience across multiple health systems in the United Kingdom, Brunei and Singapore. Her professional interests span the inflammatory arthritides such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, gout and connective tissue diseases such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Sjogren’s Syndrome, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, Systemic Sclerosis, Myositis, Antiphospholipid Syndrome, the vasculitides (ANCA associated vasculitis, giant cell arteritis to name a few), osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, as well as chronic pain (e.g. complex regional pain syndrome).

Dr Lim graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1992. Her specialist training in Rheumatology was at the Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) in Britain during which she actively contributed to the burgeoning exploration of biologic therapy for the inflammatory arthritides at the turn of the century.

Dr Lim joined National University Hospital, Singapore in 2005 while that hospital’s division of Rheumatology was in its infancy. She contributed to the initial Paediatric Rheumatology programs at National University Hospital and Kandang Kerbau Women and Children’s Hospital and continues to provide care in Rheumatology for adolescents. Dr Lim was involved with formulating guidelines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis which informed the Singapore Ministry of Health’s subsidization of biologic and targeted therapy. She previously served in NUH’s hospital administration for a decade as Vice Chairman Medical Board and on the NUH Ethics Committee. She remains an active member of the National Rheumatology Exit Exam committee, as well as a Visiting Consultant at NUH.

Dr Lim is adjunct staff at the NUS Centre for Biomedical Ethics where she teaches interprofessional collaborative practice, professionalism, ethics and communications and explores the use of narratives in drawing out the humanistic side of caring in the healthcare professions. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen her innovate to enable wellbeing among healthcare professionals, incorporating mindfulness training and teaching.

Dr Lim champions improving patient outcomes through compassionate care and understanding patients’ perspectives. She believes in empowering patients to discover what works for them through personalised care.

Dr Lim’s work in the area of quality improvement in rheumatology has led to her long-standing interest in improving gout care.

In her free time, she indulges in poetry, meditation, pilates and nature therapy.