Dr. Tony MerrimanProfessor Tony Merriman, PhD, FRSNZ, joins our faculty from the University of Otago in New Zealand. Dr. Merriman is an internationally recognized scientist and leader in the genetic basis of gout and rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Merriman's research interests also include outcomes in gout, especially severity and drug response. He also applies genetic epidemiological techniques to understanding the causal relationships in gout, specifically of diet to hyperuricemia, and of gout to related co-morbidities. These approaches have both immediate impact on clinical practice, such as the role of diet in management approaches, as well as implications for longer term management of gout by potentially identifying drug targets. As part of his research, Dr. Merriman has demonstrated a commitment to inclusion of minority groups in genetic studies.

Dr. Merriman obtained a PhD in bacterial genetics from the University of Otago in 1993. This was followed by four years post-doctoral training in the genetics of type 1 diabetes at the University of Oxford. In 1998, he returned to New Zealand, where he first developed a program in genetics of rheumatoid arthritis which developed into his current research program.

In 2020, Dr. Merriman joined the facuty at UAB, to join the division in its world-leading clinical research in gout.

Dr. Merriman retains his faculty appointment at the University of Otago.