Dr Natalia Calanzani

Natalia joined the CanTest team as a Research Associate within the Primary Care Unit, which forms part of the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge. She is a mixed-methods, health services researcher with a background in psychology and business administration, and research experience in palliative care, cancer screening and early cancer diagnosis.

Natalia has just finished her PhD at the University of Edinburgh, where she investigated the role of multilevel policy initiatives in promoting the earlier diagnosis of cancer. The project involved developing and carrying out a mixed-methods, theory-based evaluation of a Scottish Government programme promoting early cancer detection (the Detect Cancer Early Programme) and a systematic review of multilevel early diagnosis initiatives in high-income countries. Prior to her PhD, Natalia was involved in developing and testing a brief intervention in primary care to increase bowel screening participation (at the University of Edinburgh) and in several research projects investigating preferences and priorities for end of life care (at King’s College London).

Natalia will be involved in a range of CanTest projects. She is particularly interested in GI cancers and is currently working on two systematic reviews carried out by the Cancer Group based in Cambridge.