Our Team

Tim completed his optometry studies at the University of Melbourne, including receiving a Dean’s Honour list award, in 2007. He started work in Gippsland where he could build on his experience in full scope community optometry care. Here he worked with a wide variety of patients, building on particular interests in paediatric care and disease management.

Since 2012 Tim has worked as a Clinical Teaching Instructor at Melbourne Eyecare Clinic, while continuing to also work in private practice. At Melbourne Eyecare Clinic he works in the general and paediatric clinics. He is passionate about providing high quality eye care to people of all ages and enjoys the challenge of solving problems for patients. He also finds it very rewarding helping the next generation of optometrist grow from students into independent clinicians.

When he is not at work, Tim enjoys spending time with his family, playing basketball and is an AFOL (adult fan of Lego).

Ambiga graduated as an Optometrist from the University of Melbourne in 2010 and has over 10 years’ experience in providing eye care in private practice. She joined the Melbourne Eyecare Clinic as a Senior Clinical Teaching Instructor in 2021.

During Ambiga’s time in private practice, she had the opportunity to supervise Optometry students whilst on their placement and developed a passion for teaching which led her to joining Melbourne Eyecare Clinic.

Ambiga enjoys all areas of optometry. She particularly enjoys teaching the next generation of optometrists and guiding them through the challenges of the profession. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, baking cakes and travelling.

Erica graduated from the Doctor of Optometry at the University of Melbourne in 2018, and began her clinical career working in public health eyecare. In this setting she serves some of Victoria's most in-need communities and provides clinical supervision to students from multiple optometry schools across Australia.

In addition to public health clinical work , Erica is part of a research team exploring a varied range of topics including epidemiology, eye health economics and professional education.

When not in the clinic, Erica enjoys pottery, travelling overseas and visiting the library to find a new book.

Grace graduated from the Doctor of Optometry program at the University of Melbourne and has since been working as an optometrist in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, where she has a special interest in rigid lens fitting and myopia control.

For the last 5 years Grace has served as Chair of the Early Career Optometrists Victoria and South Australia (ECOVSA) committee, where she enjoyed advocating for her peers during their early years of practice. She currently works as a Strategic Project Advisor for Optometry Australia, where she facilitates the Communities of Practice and Education (COPE) groups, as well as oversees amendments to the Clinical Practice Guidelines.

Outside of the clinic she is passionate about promoting the role of optometry in community healthcare and has participated in outreach clinics both locally and interstate.

Olena is originally from Ukraine and brings over ten years of experience in the optics industry to the Melbourne Eyecare Clinic. She is a business- and results-driven professional with a strong track record in business growth and leadership, having held key roles at Specsavers, Oscar Wylee, and various private optometry practices. Olena holds a Certificate IV in Optical Dispensing from RMIT as well as a PhD from Melbourne University, and she is passionate about delivering excellent patient care. A dedicated mentor, Olena is committed to inspiring the next generation of optical professionals and has reimagined student learning at MEC. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, cooking, and participating in community charity events.

With nearly 40 years of experience in optical dispensing and practice management across a wide range of practice settings and patient demographics, Sharon is known for extensive industry expertise, strong leadership, and a commitment to exceptional patient care. Outside of work, Sharon enjoys fibre crafts, reading, and cooking.

Originally from the UK, Katie qualified as a register Dispensing Optician in 2010. After practicing in both Optometry clinics and Ophthalmology hospitals, she later trained as an Orbital Prosthetist, filling prosthetic eyes for NHS patients across the UK. She spent 6 years living HO Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where she taught Maths and Science before relocating to Australia. Now based in Melbourne, she enjoys the mix of working with both patients and students in the dynamic teaching clinic. 

Rachel is a Bachelor of Science student at the University of Melbourne, majoring in mechanical engineering systems. She has been working in healthcare administration for over 3 years, with experience in clinical and medical settings.  When not at work or studying, you can find her catching up with the newest movie releases, or rewatching some old favourites. (You can never go wrong with an animated movie!)

Dora Zhao is an Optical Dispenser at Melbourne Eyecare Clinic with a background in both research and clinical practice. She holds a PhD in Computer Science, specialising in transport modelling, optimisation, and data analysis. She enjoys working with patients to help them find comfortable and practical vision solutions. In her free time, Dora likes playing the pipa and badminton, and she enjoys travelling and exploring new places and cultures

Originally from Toronto, Canada, Andrew graduated as a Doctor of Optometry from the University of Waterloo, after completing a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from Queen’s University. He holds a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Education from the University of Melbourne.

Andrew is an Associate Professor in the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences at the University of Melbourne, and has a passion for advancing eye care through education, clinical practice, and research. He has a strong interest in clinical training, student assessment, interdisciplinary clinical education and evidence-based patient care.

Andrew has consulted at a wide range of practices across Canada and Australia. His clinical areas of interest are in anterior eye disease and specialty contact lenses, including corneals, sclerals, hybrids, and orthokeratology, and managing complex conditions such as paediatric aphakia, keratoconus and corneal grafts.

Andrew has volunteered and lectured internationally in Mexico, India, Tanzania, Myanmar, and Thailand. Melbourne is now home, where he enjoys exploring Victora, running with his dog George, and cheering on the Richmond Tigers!