Meet the speakers
Learn from leading clinicians, researchers, educators, advocates and wellbeing experts who are shaping eye care in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond. This year's programme brings together a diverse group of speakers who will challenge thinking, share practical insights, and explore the conference theme: Caring for sight, caring for self.
Keynote speaker
Visionary leadership, cutting-edge research and the future of eye care.
Professor Lauren Ayton
Future of Eye Care: Gene Therapy, Stem Cells & AI Through the Optometrist's Lens
Don't Forget the Girls! Optometric Care of Female Carriers of X-linked Eye Disease
What Do I Want to Be When I Grow Up? Optometry Careers of the Future
Gene Therapy & IRDs: What Primary Care Needs to Know
Professor Lauren Ayton is a clinician-scientist and internationally recognised leader in retinal disease, low vision and vision restoration research. As Associate Dean (Innovation & Enterprise) at the University of Melbourne and Deputy Director of the Centre for Eye Research Australia, she has led major bionic eye and gene therapy programmes and is helping shape the future of eye care worldwide. Lauren will present four sessions across the conference, exploring gene therapy, x-linked eye disease, artificial intelligence and the future of optometric practice.
Communication, connection & wellbeing
Dr Lucy O'Hagan
Reflecting on Communication
Lucy O'Hagan has been a general practitioner for more than 30 years, working across a wide range of healthcare settings including rural practice, kaupapa Māori and Pasifika services. A respected educator, she has taught communication skills to GP trainees for over two decades and has studied narrative practice, the social science of medicine and kaitiakitanga. Lucy is also an author, columnist and performer whose work explores the human stories at the heart of healthcare.
Sue Johnston
Practise Well and Keep Going: A Practical Reset for Optometrists Under Sustained Pressure
Sue Johnston has spent her career supporting people working in demanding and high-pressure environments. A former registered nurse and internationally certified leadership coach, Sue works with leaders and professionals across healthcare, technology and other sectors. She is the founder of Artemis Group and LifeStar, helping individuals build resilience, think clearly under pressure and sustain their impact over time
Keith Lightfoot
How to Develop Your Own 24-Hour Breakdown Service
Grandfather, author, wellbeing coach and creator of ZERO-Depression Talks, Keith Lightfoot brings a memorable and practical perspective on wellbeing, resilience and personal growth. Through storytelling and lived experience, he encourages audiences to rethink how they respond to adversity and build stronger foundations for wellbeing.
Dr Vipin Kuriachan
Using Psychology to Better Work and Life
Representing Eye Institute, Dr Vipin Kuriachan joins the conference programme to share insights that explore the relationship between psychology, professional performance and wellbeing. His presentation will provide practical perspectives on applying psychological principles to both clinical practice and everyday life
Clinical excellence & therapeutic practice
Practical insights, emerging treatments and approaches to delivering exceptional patient care.
Alex Petty
Optometry Without Retail: Farce or the Future?
Alex Petty is a therapeutic optometrist, contact lens specialist and orthokeratologist with particular interests in myopia control, ocular disease management, glaucoma and dry eye. A sought-after presenter, Alex has lectured throughout New Zealand and internationally while publishing widely on clinical optometry and contact lens practice. He is director and principal optometrist at Bay Eye Care in Tauranga.
Adele Jefferies
Treat the Fire, Not the Smoke: Integrating Ciclosporin 0.09% Into Clinical Practice for Moderate-Severe Dry Eye Disease
Auckland optometrist Adele Jefferies is the founder of Illume Eye Care, a clinical practice focused on collaborative, referral-friendly optometry. With a special interest in dry eye disease, ocular surface health and contact lenses, Adele is actively involved in professional leadership, governance and education throughout New Zealand and Australia.
Richard Johnson
Prescribing Trends of Optometry in Aotearoa New Zealand
Richard Johnson has worked across hospital and community optometry for more than three decades and is currently principal optometrist in the Ophthalmology Department at Greenlane Hospital. He has extensive experience in acute eye care, glaucoma, paediatrics and medical retina, and is the first optometrist in Australasia to gain an extended scope including laser surgical procedures.
Eleisha Dudson
Myopia Management: Minimum Standard of Care, Patient Communication, and Innovations and Frontiers of Care
Eleisha Dudson is a Wellington-based optometrist specialising in orthokeratology, scleral lenses and custom contact lens fitting. She has a longstanding interest in myopia management and is passionate about advancing myopia management as the standard of care in New Zealand while supporting innovation in the treatment of progressive and high myopia.
Marissa Cassimatis
The Dawn of a New 1-Week Lens
Marissa Cassimatis is Professional Education and Development Manager, Vision Care ANZ at Alcon. An optometrist with extensive experience in education and professional development, she works closely with eye care professionals across Australia and New Zealand to support clinical excellence and the adoption of emerging technologies in contact lens practice.
Dr James Leong
Focus on Photobiomodulation: The Questions You’ve Always Wanted to Ask
Dr James Leong is a retinal specialist and founder of Wellington Eye Clinic, bringing Oxford fellowship-trained expertise in complex retinal conditions and a strong commitment to evidence-based innovation in eye care. In this session, James will explore the history and physiological mechanisms of photobiomodulation (PBM) and its emerging role in ophthalmic care. Drawing on both the latest research and his own clinical experience, he will discuss applications in myopia control, age-related macular degeneration and dry eye disease, including first-in-New Zealand real-world outcomes data and practical recommendations for optometrists seeking to incorporate PBM into patient care.
Dr Andrew Thompson
3 Rules
Representing Eye Institute, Dr Andrew Thompson will present practical insights drawn from his extensive experience in ophthalmology and patient care. His session forms part of Eye Institute's contribution to the conference programme and will offer valuable perspectives for clinicians working across a range of practice settings.
Eleisha Dudson
Low-Dose Atropine: From Evidence to Practice
Representing Aspen Pharmaceuticals, Eleisha Dudson will explore the evidence behind low-dose atropine therapy and its application in contemporary myopia management. Her presentation will examine the translation of research into practical clinical care and what this means for practitioners managing progressive myopia
Research, innovation, & the future of eye care
Exploring emerging research, clinical evidence and innovations shaping the future of vision care.
Jacqui Ramke
DaSH Session
Jacqui Ramke and the DaSH team will present on initiatives designed to improve eye health outcomes and strengthen access to care through research, advocacy and systems change.
Janice Yeoman
Scleral Shell Prostheses: Bridging Gaps in Care for Blind, Disfigured Eyes
Janice Yeoman is an optometrist, ocular prosthetist and doctoral researcher whose work focuses on scleral shell prostheses and care for patients with blind, disfigured eyes. Working within the New Zealand Prosthetic Eye Service, she provides assessment, fitting and ongoing care while contributing to research that advances prosthetic eye rehabilitation.
Dr Hannah Kersten
Eyes on Trial: Ophthalmic Manifestations of Systemic Agents in Clinical Trials and Beyond
Dr Hannah Kersten is an optometrist, researcher and educator with experience spanning academic research, clinical trials, community optometry, private ophthalmology and the not-for-profit sector. As Research Manager at Eye Institute Auckland, her work focuses on glaucoma, neurological disease and understanding the relationship between the eye and the brain.
Lucy Goodman
Eyes on Outreach: Connecting Eye Care Providers With Underserved Communities
Lucy Goodman is a Research Fellow at the University of Auckland whose work explores how eye care services can be improved to reduce inequities and improve access. Drawing on expertise in vision science, clinical research and public health, Lucy is passionate about connecting evidence with real-world improvements in eye care delivery.
Low vision & rehabilitation
Paul Graveson
Understanding Visual Function and Dysfunction in Patients with Dry AMD: A Guide for the General Optometrist
Paul Graveson has spent more than 25 years as a senior clinical optometrist in the Royal Hobart Hospital Low Vision Clinic. A recognised educator in low vision, he is the creator of the Understanding Low Vision website and continues to advocate for accessible eye care and rehabilitation services for people living with vision impairment.
Blind Low Vision NZ
Seeing the Whole Person: Looking Beyond the Vision
Blind Low Vision NZ brings valuable expertise in supporting people and whānau adjusting to vision loss. Emotional Support Manager Jenni Willson has more than 20 years' experience in health and disability services, while Primary Service Provider Sharlene Turner combines professional expertise with lived experience of vision and hearing loss. Together, they will share practical insights into rehabilitation, wellbeing and community support.
Macular Degeneration NZ
Seeing the Whole Picture: The Patient Journey in AMD Care
Representing Macular Degeneration NZ, retina specialist Dr Jo Sims and General Manager Sarah Berman bring both clinical and consumer perspectives to the conversation around age-related macular degeneration. Together they offer valuable insights into treatment access, patient advocacy and the lived experiences of New Zealanders affected by retinal disease.