Rupal Lovell-Patel
Rupal is the Academic Lead for Vision Sciences at the University, she is a registered Optometrist committed to raising the standards of professional practice and education within the optometric community. After graduating from University of Bradford and undertaking registration as an Optometrist, she returned to academia in Bradford as a Clinical Demonstrator. In 2002, Rupal moved to Cambridge to join Anglia Ruskin University where she was a Principal Lecturer and Director of Clinics until 2018. Alongside her teaching and management roles within the University, she is a College of Optometrists Examiner for the Final Assessment of the Scheme for Registration (OSCE). She is a Principal Fellow for the Higher Education Academy and a member of the Careers in Optics working group as well as European Academy of Optometry and Optics Education Committee.
Rupal teaches across several modules within the Optometry and Ophthalmic Dispensing courses as well as leading the Vision Sciences team in developing and delivering of these courses. Within the School, she is the Teaching and Learning Lead. Her interest in optometric education has allowed her to undertake several projects in learning and teaching field.
Apart from Rupal's involvement with education at university level, as a registered optometrist, she remains committed to working towards continual professional standards improvement and development. She has been part of working groups supporting professional development such as the EAOO Clinical Practice working group and Careers in Optics working group. Rupal has been a reviewer for peer review journal Optometry and Vision Science, Optometry in Practice and for grant applications to the Central Commissioning Facility for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded projects. Having been as Assessor for EAOO clinical fellowship applications since 2015, she now leads the Fellowship program. Within the NHS East of England Region, she is the Lead Optometry Adviser offering support, advice and guidance to the optometric community on eye care service provision. She leads on eye care commissioning based on the national and professional targets working with a number of stakeholders. Within the academic setting, she has spent time on University Senate, Faculty and Departmental Ethics Panel. Rupal is involved in the Academic Quality Assurance process as internal approval panel member and acts as a mentor for colleagues who are applying for Fellowships of the Higher Education Academy (now known as Advance HE). She has ensured that she embeds professional practice and student learning in all her activities around optometric education. This combination has led to highly positive feedback from students (regularly nominated for the Student Union run annual awards for “Made a Difference” at her previous university) and professionals with whom she engages with on a daily basis. Her commitment to pedagogic community within her role at her previous University has been recognised by the means of being awarded the title of University Teaching Fellow.
- University Certificate, Independent Prescribing, City University. 2016
- Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching, Anglia Ruskin University. 2006
- BSc (Hons) in Optometry, University of Bradford. 1997
- Lecturer of the Year by the Association of Optometrists, 2014
- Visual Stress and Eye Movement
- Optometric Education (Learning and Teaching)
- Fellowship lead for the Education Committee of the European Academy of Optometry and Optics
- OSCE development group member, OSCE examiner and Educationalist on the Higher Qualification Accreditation panel for The College of Optometrists
- Court Assistant for the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers
- Lead Optometry Professional Adviser for NHS East of England and the Chair of the East Anglia Local Eye Health Network
PUBLICATIONS
Aldrich, A., Lovell-Patel, R., Allen, P., & Wilkins, A. (2018). The Repeatability of Colorimetry is Precise (ly) as Expected. Neuro-Ophthalmology, 3(1), 1-6. Lovell-Patel, R., Timmis, M., Pardhan, S., & McCarthy, P. (2013).
The Influence of Multifocal Lenses on Fine Motor Tasks. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 54(15), 4250-4250 Patel R, Pardhan S & Hobbiss A (2001).
Quality of Life, Visual Function and Ocular Health in South Asian and Caucasian adults in Bradford, UK. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 42(4): S861.
Presentations: Lovell-Patel, R and Mudher, L. The Effect of Colored Overlays on Eye Movements when Reading as Measured using a Visagraph III®. American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting October 2018.
Lovell-Patel, R. A four-year audit of the Visual Stress Clinic and Anglia Ruskin University Eye clinic. European Academy of Optometry and Optics, May 2015.
Lovell-Patel, R. Can Colour Filter Therapy Help Patients with Reading Difficulties? 7th International Congress of Behavioural Optometry, September 2014.
Lovell-Patel, R and McCary, J. Using a Mix of Generic and Specific Study Skills Workshops to Improve Students' Study Techniques. Anglia Ruskin University 12th Annual Learning and Teaching Conference, June 2011. Lovell-Patel, R. OSCE assessment - is it a fair way to assess clinical skills? The European Academy of Optometry and Optics, May 2009.
Keynote speaker. Patel, R. Quality of Life, Visual Function and Ocular Health in South Asian and Caucasian adults in Bradford, UK at 2001 AVA-CG Post-Graduate Meeting, November 2001.
- Poster Presentations (only listed when first author) at conferences:
- Lovell-Patel R, Timmis M, McCarthy P and Pardhan S. The Influence of Mulitfocal Lenses on Fine Motor Tasks. ARVO 2013
- Lovell-Patel R, Austin D and Shah K. The Effect of Color Filter Therapy on the Rate of Reading. American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting. October 2011
- Lovell-Patel Rand Chitanda F. The Effect of Sports-Tinted Contact Lenseson Visual Function. American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting. November 2010
- Lovell-Patel R and Shorrock H. Effect of Colored Tinted Spectacles on a Patient with Arnold Chiari Malformation Causing Asymmetrical Torsional Nystagmus. American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting. November 2009
- Lovell-PatelR, Siderov J and Norgett Y. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations
- (OSCEs) in an undergraduate optometry course - is it a fair way to assess clinical skills and
- improve student learning? The 3rd Science Learning and Teaching Conference. June 2009
- Lovell-Patel R. Visual stress clinical at Anglia Ruskin optometry clinic–2yearaudit.The European Academy of Optometry and Optics. May 2009
- Patel R, Pardhan S, Hobbiss A and Gilchrist J .Habitual Binocular Performance and Vision Related Quality ofLifeattheB COVS and AVA meeting held at Anglia Polytechnic University, July 2002
Telephone:+44 (0)1772 894014
Email: Email:Rupal Lovell-Patel