Early Diagnosis Webinar for Scotland

Dr Sam Merriel is a GP in North-West England and a NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer at the Centre for Primary Care and Health Services Research at the University of Manchester. He’s also an Associate Editor of the British Journal of General Practice, reflecting his deep engagement with advancing research and clinical practice in primary care. Dr Merriel’s main research focus is on the early detection and prevention of cancer in primary care, with a specific interest in evaluating and implementing new diagnostic tests. He has conducted extensive research into prostate cancer diagnosis, exploring the role of symptoms, the accuracy of the PSA test in primary care, and the potential of prostate MRI to improve diagnostic pathways. In addition to his research, Dr Merriel has served on the NICE prostate cancer guidelines update committee in 2021 and has been a key contributor to various expert reference groups, including those for Prostate Cancer UK, Movember, the National Cancer Research Institute, and NHS England. Dr Merriel’s work has made a significant impact on how we think about prostate cancer diagnosis in primary care.

Naomi is the Education Manager at Prostate Cancer UK, bringing over 10 years’ experience in the healthcare charity sector. She has held roles at organisations including the Alzheimer’s Society, Healthwatch and most recently Cancer Research UK. With a Master’s degree in Psychology and background in Learning & Development, Naomi combines her expertise with practical experience to design and deliver high quality education for healthcare professionals. She is passionate about using education as a tool to empower professionals, enabling them to provide better care and support for patients and their families.