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Dr Irene Ctori

Divisional Lead

School of Health Sciences Division of Optometry and Visual Sciences

Contact details

Address

Dr Irene Ctori M107, Myddelton Street Building
City, University of London
Northampton Square
London EC1V 0HB
United Kingdom

About

Overview

Irene is an optometrist. She is the Divisional lead for Optometry and Visual Science at City University of London where she is also a Senior Lecturer.

Research
Over the last few years, Irene has generated several high quality publications in peer-reviewed journals with impact factors ranging from 2.35 to 6.12. She has a specialist interest in imaging the retina using Optical Coherence Tomography and more recently in paediatric eye care. She is also interested in educational research. She has supervised one PhD student to completion, and is supervising another that is due to complete in 2022.

Clinical Experience
Irene graduated from City University in 1994 with a First Class Honours degree in Optometry. Irene has over 20 years experience of a wide range of clinical optometric practice, in both the private sector and in specialised hospital optometry services. In 2008, Irene returned to City to do the MSc in Clinical Optometry. She completed this in 2012 (awarded Distinction). During this time, Irene worked as a specialist optometrist at Whipps Cross University Eye Hospital where she was the optometric lead for the fast track Age Related Macular Degeneration service. She also provided specialist paediatric eye care and worked closely with the orthoptic team and the consultant ophthalmologists. Irene worked as a Visiting Clinical Tutor at City from 2007-2012 where she supervised students working in the paediatric eye clinic and in the primary eye care clinics. In October 2012 Irene was awarded a City University PhD studentship and began her PhD which she did full-time and completed March 2016.

Programme Development
Irene was the Programme Director for the Foundation Degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing from 2016-2019. She led on the development of the Introduction to Optometry Programme 2018-2019. She also lead the development of a new Introduction to Health Sciences programme, which began in 2019 and still continues to be a co-programme director for this.

Qualifications

  1. PG Diploma Academic Practice (Distinction), City, University London, United Kingdom, Oct 2018
  2. PhD Optometry and Visual Science, City, University of London, United Kingdom, Jan 2016
  3. MSc Clinical Optometry (Distinction), City, University of London, United Kingdom, Jan 2012
  4. BSc Optometry (1st class hons), City, university of London, United Kingdom, Jan 1994

Administrative roles

  1. Programme Director Foundation Year in Health Sciences, City, University of London, Jan 2019 – present
  2. Programme Director Introduction to Optometry, City, University of London, Sep 2018 – present
  3. Programme Director Foundation Degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing, City, University of London, Sep 2016 – present

Employment

  1. Divisional Lead, City, University of London, Sep 2015 – present

Memberships of professional organisations

  1. Member, College of Optometrists, Sep 1995 – present

Languages

Greek, Modern (1453-) (can read, write, speak and understand spoken).

Expertise

Geographic Areas

  • Europe

Research

Macular pigment

Irene's PhD research is based on investigating ethnic differences in the spatial distribution of macular pigment and its relation to foveal anatomy. The key findings are that the spatial distribution of macular pigment varies among individuals, with ethnicity playing a role. However, ethnic variations in foveal anatomy do not explain the differences observed.

Acute hyperglycaemia and the crystalline lens

Irene's MSc dissertation focused on the impact of changes taking place in the crystalline lens during acute hyperglycaemia, with particular attention on the consequent effects on refractive error. The main finding was that transient shifts in refractive error do occur in some diabetic subjects during episodes of acute hyperglycaemia, but there are conflicting reports as to the direction of change. While increased crystalline lens thickness during hyperglycaemia was an inconsistent finding, decreased refractive index was a more regular finding when refractive shifts did occur, especially as a feature of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus

Research students

Salma Ahmad

Attendance: Feb 2019 – present, full-time

Thesis title: Paediatric Eye Care in the UK

Role: 2nd Supervisor

Anish Jindal

Attendance: Oct 2016 – present, full-time

Thesis title: Diagnostic accuracy of structural imaging and visual function tests to detect age-related eye disease

Role: 2nd Supervisor

Publications

Publications by category

Conference papers and proceedings (15)

  1. Willis, S. and Ctori, I. (2019). Understanding issues around supporting and promoting success for students from non-traditional routes: transition from foundation to BSc. City Learning and Teaching conference London.
  2. Jindal, A., Ctori, I. and Lawrenson, J. (2019). The impact of optical coherence tomography on clinical decision making in primary eye care.
  3. Ctori, I., Subramanian, A. and Jones, P. (2019). Teaching empathy by Simulated Practice in Optometry. European Academy of Optometry and Optics Rome.
  4. Ctori, I., Subramanian, A. and Jones, P. (2019). Teaching empathy by simulated practice in optometry. The TESPO project. Virtual and Augmented Reality to Enhance Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. Swansea.
  5. Ctori, I., Ahmad, S., Subramanian, A. and Oskis, A. (2019). Associations between adult attachment style and vision-related quality of life in visually impaired individuals. ARVO.
  6. Lawrenson, J., Fidalgo, B., Dabasia, P., Jindal, A., Edgar, D., Ctori, I. … Peto, T. (2019). Predictive value of screening tests for sight‐threatening eye disease in a UK population.
  7. Huntjens, B., McKellar, J.B., Ctori, I. and Powner, M. (2018). Ethnic variations in preferred retinal locus of fixation using Optical Coherence Tomography.
  8. McKellar, J.B., Ctori, I. and Huntjens, B. (2018). Foveal shape variation among gender and ethnicity.
  9. (2018). Diagnostic accuracy of a new thresholding glaucoma screening programme using temporally modulated flicker.
  10. Ctori, I. and Huntjens, B. (2017). Does ethnicity and foveal morphology play a role in the spatial distribution of macular pigment?
  11. Huntjens, B. and Ctori, I. (2016). Macular pigment spatial profile classification: are our eyes deceiving us?
  12. Ctori, I. and Huntjens, B. (2016). Do ethnic variations in foveal morphology explain variations in macular pigment spatial density distribution?
  13. Ctori, and Huntjens, B. (2015). The effect of ethnicity on the association between macular pigment distribution and foveal anatomy in healthy individuals. Macular Carotenoid Conference 8-10 July, Cambridge, UK.
  14. Ctori, I. and Huntjens, B. (2014). Does foveal anatomy influence macular pigment and its spatial profile? A bi-racial study. EVER 30 Sep 2014 – 5 Oct 2014, Nice, France.
  15. Huntjens, B. and Ctori, I. (2014). Variations and repeatability of macular pigment and its spatial profiles in south Asian and white subjects. EVER 30 Sep 2014 – 5 Oct 2014, Nice, France.

Journal articles (12)

  1. Shah, R., Ctori, I., Edgar, D.F. and Parker, P. (2021). Use of standardised patients in optometry training. Clinical and Experimental Optometry. doi:10.1080/08164622.2021.1896332.
  2. Jindal, A., Ctori, I., Virgili, G., Lucenteforte, E. and Lawrenson, J.G. (2020). Non-contact tests for identifying people at risk of primary angle closure glaucoma. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020(5). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012947.pub2.
  3. Ctori, I., Ahmad, S., Subramanian, A. and Oskis, A. (2020). Associations between adult attachment and vision-related quality of life in visually impaired individuals. Psychology, Health and Medicine. doi:10.1080/13548506.2020.1778749.
  4. Fidalgo, B.R., Dabasia, P., Jindal, A., Edgar, D.F., Ctori, I., Peto, T. … Lawrenson, J.G. (2019). Role of advanced technology in the detection of sight-threatening eye disease in a UK community setting. BMJ Open Ophthalmology, 4(1). doi:10.1136/bmjophth-2019-000347.
  5. Jindal, A., Ctori, I., Fidalgo, B., Dabasia, P., Balaskas, K. and Lawrenson, J.G. (2019). Impact of optical coherence tomography on diagnostic decision-making by UK community optometrists: a clinical vignette study. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 39(3), pp. 205–215. doi:10.1111/opo.12613.
  6. Ctori, I., Mahroo, O.A., Williams, K.M., Hammond, C.J. and Huntjens, B. (2018). Repeatability of the macular pigment spatial profile: A comparison of objective versus subjective classification. Acta Ophthalmologica, 96(7). doi:10.1111/aos.13725.
  7. Fidalgo, B.R., Jindal, A., Tyler, C.W., Ctori, I. and Lawrenson, J.G. (2018). Development and validation of a new glaucoma screening test using temporally modulated flicker. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 38(6), pp. 617–628. doi:10.1111/opo.12588.
  8. Jindal, A., Ctori, I., Virgili, G., Lucenteforte, E. and Lawrenson, J.G. (2018). Non-contact methods for the detection of people at risk of primary angle closure glaucoma. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018(2). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012947.
  9. Ctori, I. and Huntjens, B. (2017). The association between foveal morphology and macular pigment spatial distribution: An ethnicity study. PLoS ONE, 12(1). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0169520.
  10. Ctori, I. and Huntjens, B. (2015). Repeatability of foveal measurements using spectralis optical coherence tomography segmentation software. PLoS ONE, 10(6). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0129005.
  11. Ctori, I., Gruppetta, S. and Huntjens, B. (2015). The effects of ocular magnification on Spectralis spectral domain optical coherence tomography scan length. Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, 253(5), pp. 733–738. doi:10.1007/s00417-014-2915-9.
  12. Huntjens, B., Asaria, T.S., Dhanani, S., Konstantakopoulou, E. and Ctori, I. (2014). Macular pigment spatial profiles in south asian and white subjects. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 55(3), pp. 1440–1446. doi:10.1167/iovs.13-13204.

Thesis/dissertation

  1. Ctori, I. Ethnic differences in the spatial distribution of macular pigment and its association with foveal anatomy. (PhD Thesis)

Professional activities

Events/conferences (4)

  1. Europpean Academy of Optometry and Optics (EAOO 2019). (Conference) Rome, Italy (2019).
    Paper: Teaching Empathy by Simulated Practice in Optometry
    Author: Ctori,I.
    Co-authors: Subramanian, A.; Jones, P.; Oskis, A.
  2. ARVO 2019. (Conference) Vancouver, Canada (2019).
    Paper: Associations between adult attachment style and vision-related quality of life in visually impaired individuals
    Author: Ctori, I.
    Co-authors: Ahmad, S.; Subramanian, A.; Oskis, A.
  3. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). (Conference) Seattle, USA (2016).
    Paper: Macular pigment spatial profile classification: are our eyes deceiving us?
    Author: Huntjens, B
    Co-authors: Ctori, C
  4. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). (Conference) Seattle, USA (2016).
    Paper: Do ethnic variations in foveal morphology explain variations in macular pigment spatial density distribution?
    Author: Ctori, C
    Co-authors: Huntjens, B

Other

  1. Council Member for College of Optometrists 2018 to present.