Joep Welling is the president of the Dutch patient organization for systemic autoimmune diseases (NVLE) and consultant for the Scleroderma Framed Foundation. From 2010, he has been actively involved as a patient representative and advocate in many national and international projects aiming to improve research and health care for patients with scleroderma, including the Patient Research Partner project of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR).

Joep is no longer actively employed, but instead puts his energy into advocacy for the NVLE and the provision of information on scleroderma to professionals and patients. His professional background as a nurse (specializations intensive care and anesthesiology), infection control practitioner, as well as his work as an IT consultant for pharmacies and a pharmaceutical wholesaler, helps him achieve these goals and gain more attention for scleroderma.