Safiatú Lopes
Research Analyst
Safi is the principal Research Analyst for the RTL Division, having previously worked as a Validation Analyst. Safi provides quantitative analysis support to the Research Managers for on-going research studies, which includes work such as training/impact evaluation and predictive validation studies. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from UCL and an MSc in Occupational Psychology from Manchester University. Prior to joining Cambridge Assessment English, Safi worked as a consultant business psychologist leading various projects related to the design, delivery and evaluation of psychometrics for medical selection, in particular Situational Judgement Tests.
Safi’s heritage is half Portuguese and half Guinea Bissauan. Her father was a diplomat so she moved around a lot growing up, living in New York and Zimbabwe before eventually coming to boarding school in the UK aged 15. She enjoys travelling and learning about other cultures. Outside of work Safi likes to invest her time and energy in her loved ones, and enjoys cooking, reading, mindful movement (such as yoga and ecstatic dance), attending meditation and other spiritual gatherings, as well as travelling whenever she can afford to.
Key publications and conference presentations
Patterson, F, Tiffin, P, Lopes, S and Zibarras, L (2018) Unpacking the dark variance of differential attainment on examinations in overseas graduates, Medical Education 52 (7), 736-746, available online: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/medu.13605
Naidoo, S, Lopes, S, Patterson, F, Mead, H M and MacLeod, S (2017) Can colleagues’, patients’ and supervisors’ assessments predict successful completion of postgraduate medical training? Medical Education 51 (4), 423-431, available online: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27882593
Patterson, F, Lopes, S, Harding, S, Vaux, E, Berkin, L and Black, D (2017) The predictive validity of a situational judgement test, a clinical problem solving test and the core medical training selection methods for performance in specialty training, Clinical Medicine 17 (1), 13-17, available online: http://www.clinmed.rcpjournal.org/content/17/1/13.full.pdf+html
Patterson, F, Zibarras, L, Kerrin, M, Lopes, S and Price, R (2014) Development of competency models for assessors and simulators in high-stakes selection processes, Medical Teacher 36 (12), 1082-1085, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/0142159X.2014.930112