Dr Raju Sapkota

Dr Sapkota’s research expertise and interests are on diabetes and diabetic retinopathy in Asians. His other areas of research expertise are visual short-term memory, and visual function in age-related macular degeneration.

[email protected]

Background

Following his two-and-a-half years' service as an optometrist at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Nepal, Dr Sapkota came to the UK. He obtained an MSc degree in Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Science from the University of Manchester (2006), and a PhD from Anglia Ruskin University (2010). Dr Sapkota works as a Senior Research Fellow in the Vision and Eye Research Institute at our Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine and Social Care. Dr Sapkota has published findings in high-impact journals. He has presented papers at national and international conferences, and has obtained a number of research-related grants and awards.

Spoken Languages

• English
• Nepali
• Hindi

Research interests

• Use of visual short-term memory tests as a biomarker of early cognitive decline.
• Risk factors and intervention of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy in South Asians and Chinese diabetic patients.
• Efficacy of paper-based user-friendly tests of visual functions for self-monitoring of eye conditions at home.
• Barriers to self-help and diabetic awareness amongst South Asians living in the UK.
• Eye complications of UV and blue light.

Areas of research supervision

Dr Sapkota has supervised seven research interns to date, which led to several research outputs.

Qualifications

Memberships, editorial boards

• Member, Vision Science Society (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2018)
• Member, The Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (2017)
• Member, Applied Vision Association (2008-2010)
• Dementia Research, UK
• Member, British Congress of Optometry and Visual Science (2014-2016)

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

• Anglia Ruskin University VC's PhD studentship, 2021
• Anglia Ruskin University, Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine and Social Care summer studentship, 2021
• Anglia Ruskin University VC’s award for Outstanding Research Impact and Innovation (team) for diabetes case study, 2020
• Faculty REF competitive grant, 2019
• Global Challenge Research Fund 2018 (with Professor Pardhan)
• Anglia Ruskin University RIDO travel grant, 2017 and 2018
• Anglia Ruskin University Faculty of Medical Science networking grant, 2017
• Nuffield Summer Research Student Placement, 2016
• Faculty (Faculty of Health, Social Care & Education) summer studentship (£2000), Anglia Ruskin University, 2014
• Patrick Geoghegan Health & Wellbeing Academy fund (with Professor S Pardhan), 2014
• Cambridge Research System travel award to present at a conference at University of East Anglia, 2014
• HR postdoc support fund, 2014
• Nuffield Summer Research Student Placement, 2013
• Anglia Ruskin University, RDCS, The UK Research Development fund, 2012
• The 'Guarantors of Brain' travel grant, 2012
• Faculty (Science & Technology) summer studentship, Anglia Ruskin University, 2011
• Winner of the best paper presentation at the research student conference, Anglia Ruskin University, 2010
• Experimental Psychology Society's Grindly Grant, 2009
• Applied Vision Association travel grant, 2008

Selected recent publications

Pardhan, S., Islam, M. S., López-Sánchez, G. F., Upadhyaya, T., Sapkota, R. P., 2021. Self-isolation negatively impacts self-management of diabetes during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome, 13 (1), pp. 123. doi: 10.1186/s13098-021-00734-4

Vaughan, M., Trott, M., Sapkota, R., Premi, G., Roberts, J., Ubhi, J., Smith, L., Pardhan, S., 2021. Changes in 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels post-vitamin D supplementation in people of Black and Asian ethnicities and its implications during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 1– 11. doi: 10.1111/jhn.12949

Madheswaran, G., Ramesh, S. V., Pardhan, S., Sapkota, R., Raman, R., 2021. Impact of living with a bilateral central vision loss due to geographic atrophy—qualitative study. BMJ Open, 11(7), pp. e047861. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047861

Pardhan, S., Smith, L., Sapkota, R. P., 2021. Vitamin D Deficiency as an Important Biomarker for the Increased Risk of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in People From Black and Asian Ethnic Minority Groups. Frontiers in Public Health, 8. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.613462

Pardhan, S., Nakafero, G., Raman, R., Sapkota, R., 2020. Barriers to diabetes awareness and self-help are influenced by people's demographics: perspectives of South Asians with type 2 diabetes. Ethnicity and Health, 25(6), pp. 843-861. doi: 10.1080/13557858.2018.1455809

Sapkota, R. P., van der Linde, I., Pardhan, S., 2020. How does aging influence object-location and name-location binding during a visual short-term memory task? Aging and Mental Health, 24(1), pp. 63-72. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2018.1515887

López-Sánchez, G. F., Smith, L., Raman, R., Jaysankar, D., Singh, S., Sapkota, R., Díaz Suárez, A., Pardhan, S., 2019. Physical activity behaviour in people with diabetes residing in India: A cross-sectional analysis. Science and Sports, 34(1), pp. e59-e66. doi: 10.1016/j.scispo.2018.08.005

López-Sánchez, G. F., Smith, L., Zheng, D., Sapkota, R., Yang, L., Chen, Z., Pardhan, S., 2019. Physical activity behaviour in people with diabetes residing in China: A cross-sectional analysis. Science and Sports, 34(3), pp. 178-180. doi: 10.1016/j.scispo.2018.11.004

Sapkota, R., Chen, Z., Zheng, D., Pardhan, S., 2019. The profile of sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy in patients attending a specialist eye clinic in Hangzhou, China. BMJ Open Ophthalmology, 4(1). doi: 10.1136/bmjophth-2018-000236

Sapkota, R., van der Linde, I., Pardhan, S., 2018. How does aging influence object-location and name-location binding during a visual short-term memory task? Aging and Mental Health, 27:1-10. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2018.1515887

Felipe López Sánchez, G., Raman, R., Jaysankar, D., Singh, S., Sapkota, R., Díaz Suárez, A., Smith, L., Pardhan, S., 2018. Physical activity behaviour in people with diabetes residing in India: A cross-sectional analysis. Science and Sports. doi: 10.1016/j.scispo.2018.08.005

Felipe López Sánchez, G., Smith, L., Zheng, D., Sapkota, R., Chen, Z., Pardhan, S., 2018. Physical activity behaviour in people with diabetes residing in India: A cross-sectional analysis. Science and Sports. doi: 10.1016/j.scispo.2018.11.004

Sapkota, R. P., Upadhyaya, T., Gurung, G., Parker, M., Raman, R., Pardhan, S., 2018. Need to improve awareness and treatment compliance in high-risk patients for diabetic complications in Nepal. BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care, 6(1). doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2018-000525

Pardhan, S., Nakafero, G., Raman, R., Sapkota, R., 2018. Barriers to diabetes awareness and self-help are influenced by people's demographics: perspectives of South Asians with type 2 diabetes. Ethnicity and Health, 26:1-19. doi: 10.1080/13557858.2018.1455809

Sapkota, R. P., Van Der Linde, I., Lamichhane, N., Upadhyaya, T., Pardhan, S., 2017. Patients with mild cognitive impairment show lower visual short-term memory performance in feature binding tasks. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra, 7(1), pp. 74-86. doi: 10.1159/000455831

Pardhan, S., Sapkota, R., 2016. Eye complications of exposure to blue-violet light. Points de Vue, International Review of Ophthalmic Optics, September 2016.

Sapkota, R. P., Pardhan, S., van der Linde, I., 2016. Spatiotemporal Proximity Effects in Visual Short-Term Memory Examined by Target-Non-target Analysis. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 42, pp. 1304-1315.

Sapkota, R., Pardhan, S., van der Linde, I., 2015. Change detection in visual short-term memory: the relative impact of pairwise switches and identity substitutions. Experimental Psychology, 62, pp. 232-239.

Sapkota, R., van der Linde, I., Pardhan, S., 2015. How does aging affect the types of error made in a visual short-term memory 'object-recall' task? Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 6(346). doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00346

Recent presentations and conferences

Sapkota R, Upadhyaya T, Gurung G, Biswas A, Durgasri J, Raman R, Pardhan S, (2017). Clinical and non-clinical factors predicting retinopathy severity in patients attending three different diabetic eye clinics in India and Nepal. The Association of Research in Visio and Ophthalmology, Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 58, 70.

Chen Z, Sapkota R, Zheng D, Pardhan S. (2017). The need for early retinopathy screening and improved awareness in diabetic patients in Hangzhou, China. The Association of Research in Visio and Ophthalmology, Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 58, 79.

Robson J, Raman R, Durgasri J, Sapkota R, Pardhan S, (2017). Contrast sensitivity measured with illiterate single-use printed paper charts to assess the severity of diabetic retinopathy. The Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 58, 4698.

Robson J, Sapkota R, Kidd J, Newman D, Pardhan S (2016). Self-assessment of visual function using new single-use printed charts. The Association of Research in Visio and Ophthalmology, Seattle, Washington, May 1-5, 2016. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 57, 12.

Sapkota R, van der Linde I, Pardhan S, (2014). Effect of age on the types of error made in a visual short-term memory ‘object-recall’ task. British Congress for Optometry and Vision Science, September 8-9, Cardiff, Wales. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 34, 684

Media experience

Interview with OS Nepal to increase awareness amongst Nepalese on the UV and blue light and their complications in the eye.