Suzanne Scott

Professor Suzanne Scott is a Health Psychologist and holds the position of Professor of Health Psychology & Early Cancer Diagnosis at the Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London (since April 2022). She is also a Visiting Professor of Health Psychology at King’s College London, where she worked from 2006 to 2022, focusing on early cancer diagnosis and communication skills training for dental students. Her training includes a MSc in Health Psychology from University College London and a PhD in Psychology Applied to Medicine & Dentistry from King’s College London.

Her research interests center on applying psychological theory to improve early cancer diagnosis, particularly examining symptom perception, help-seeking behavior, and intervention design. Key areas include optimizing healthcare systems for timely cancer detection through individualized interventions (e.g., during dental visits or GP consultations) and leveraging post-suspected cancer referral follow-ups. Methodologically, she employs mixed approaches: large-scale surveys, qualitative studies (interviews/focus groups), questionnaire development, and analysis of routinely collected healthcare data.

She leads international collaborations such as the NIHR Global Health Group (Sub-Saharan Africa cancer diagnosis), CanTest (primary care diagnostic testing), and CanDetect (multi-cancer early detection platforms). Her work emphasizes behavioral science integration into healthcare systems to reduce diagnostic delays.

Current supervision includes Laura Standen (Barts Charity-funded, focusing on brain cancer detection in primary care) and Charlotte Kelly-Jones (Breast Cancer Now-funded, exploring risk stratification in breast screening). She has secured grants from Barts Charity and Breast Cancer Now for her research.

Her professional contributions span behavioral science leadership, academic mentorship, and policy-informing research. She is affiliated with Queen Mary’s Centre for Cancer Screening, Prevention and Early Diagnosis, bridging psychological insights with clinical practice.