Elena Aurrecoechea completed her M.D. in medicine at de Basque Country University (Bilbao) and her especiality in rheumatology at the University Hospital Valdecilla in Santander, Spain. She has a PhD in health sciences from the University of Cantabria, Spain. She works as a rheumatologist at the Hospital Sierrallana in Torrelavega, Cantabria, Spain, where she is also head of the rheumatology department. Her areas of interest are lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, especially gender differences in disease and quality of life. In addition, she works in the uveitis unit of her hospital.