Ronak Patel, PhD

Dr. Ronak Patel is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and associate professor in the Department of Clinical Health Psychology, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba.

Dr. Ronak Patel completed his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Clinical Psychology from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryerson University) in 2014. He specialized in clinical neuropsychology throughout his doctoral training and completed his pre-doctoral residency in the Neuropsychology and Cognitive Health Program at the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto, Ontario. 

Following the completion of his doctoral degree in 2014, Dr. Patel was recruited as a full-time clinical neuropsychologist in the Clinical Health Psychology (CHP) program in Winnipeg, Manitoba under Shared Health, Manitoba’s leading healthcare organization, where he continues to practice to the present day. Within his role at CHP, Dr. Patel provides neuropsychological assessment services to both inpatients and outpatients throughout the province of Manitoba who present with a range of primary neurological and/or psychiatric disorders. 

Dr. Patel has a specialized focus on rehabilitation, providing both neuropsychological assessment and intervention services for individuals with acquired brain injuries, including traumatic brain injury and cerebrovascular accidents/stroke. In 2016, Dr. Patel launched CHP’s first group-based, outpatient cognitive rehabilitation program called “Training of Executive Attention and Memory,” or TEAM. In 2020, Dr. Patel became one of only two neuropsychologists in the province of Manitoba to be awarded Board Certification in Clinical Neuropsychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology—the highest designation in his field and one that is held by only a small group of Canadian neuropsychologists.

Beyond his clinical work, Dr. Patel is passionate about teaching and training. He regularly provides supervision and mentorship to both undergraduate and graduate students. In 2017–2018, Dr. Patel was awarded the Dr. John Arnett Excellence in Teaching Award for his teaching and service to the medical residency program at the University of Manitoba. In June 2025, Dr. Patel was awarded the inaugural Max Rady College of Medicine Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award, reflecting his significant contributions to clinical training in the field of clinical neuropsychology within Manitoba.

Dr. Patel has served on the Clinical Neuropsychology Section Executive Committee for the Canadian Psychological Association and was a contributing member of the Vascular Cognitive Impairment Writing Group for the Canadian Heart and Stroke Best Practices Committee. 

In addition to his clinical, service, and teaching-related work, Dr. Patel maintains an active research program, with both national and international collaborations. He and his collaborators use neuroimaging methods to investigate the underlying pathophysiology of cognitive functioning across a diverse range of clinical populations. To date, he has published more than 30 peer-reviewed studies in scientific journals such as Neuropsychologia, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, Assessment and the Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology.

In April 2025, Dr. Patel was promoted to the rank of associate professor within the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba.

Education

• Bachelor of Science (Honours), Queen’s University (2005)
• Bachelor of Education (Concurrent), Queen’s University (2006)
• Master of Arts (MA) in Psychology, Ryerson University (2009)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology, Ryerson University (2014)

Awards

• Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba (2025)
• Nominated for the Karen Postal Outstanding Mentorship Award, American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN) and Society for Clinical Neuropsychology (SCN; APA Division 40) (2025)
• Nominated for Clinical Health Psychology (CHP) Practicum Supervisor Award (2024)
• Department of Clinical Health Psychology: Dr. John Arnett Excellence in Teaching Award (2017-2018)
• CPA Traumatic Stress Section Dissertation Award (2015)
• CPA Commendation of Excellence Award for PhD Thesis (2015)