Gavin has 22 years of experience fitting orthoK and loves that orthoK can slow myopia progression and therefore potentially save someone from vision loss in the future. He enjoys the company of the people who fit orthoK as they are all enthusiastic, passionate people. In his spare time, he likes reading a wide range of subjects from sports to philosophy.
Celia has been fitting orthoK for 15 years and receives great delight from people’s happy reactions at being able to see without glasses! In addition, as she gets to know her OK patients personally during the fitting process, she finds experiencing how orthoK has helped their lives a fantastic personal reward. She embraces “geek chic” – loving Star Wars and Chanel in equal measures!
Lee Pepper has been in optometric practice for 35 years. He has served as a part-time lecturer and visiting clinical supervisor in the contact lens clinic at the University of NSW and has also consulted to the profession in clinical instrumentation. He is currently principal optometrist and practice owner of Vision Excellence, operating at Norwest in the Hills District of Sydney, Australia.
Lee has practised orthokeratology for the last decade, deriving satisfaction from the ability to prevent myopic eye disease. He volunteers his time for the OSO, believing it to be the most passionate professional society he has ever encountered. Lee is a keen player and administrator of football (soccer), having represented UNSW and is now involved in developing the sport of walk football for older adults in Australia.
Kathleen has been fitting orthoK for 8 years. She enjoys getting to know the children and watching them grow. She is passionate about promoting orthoK and ensuring we have experienced, well-educated practitioners working in the field.
Philip Cheng (Marketing Coordinator) is a leading Australian practitioner in orthokeratology and myopia control. Director of the Myopia Clinic Melbourne, located in Kew East, he has the experience and privilege of looking after hundreds of children across Melbourne for orthoK treatment and other interventions to slow the progression of their myopia. He is well known in the industry as an advocate for myopia care, is a regular presenter and writer on myopia management, and a mentor for fellow optometrists and students in this area.
A high myope himself, Philip understands what it means to grow up with vision deterioration from this progressive eye condition. He is passionate about giving today’s kids the opportunity of maintaining better eyesight and eye health in life, through advances in myopia research, knowledge and treatment technologies.
Andrew Sangster is a New Zealand-based optometrist, practising in Central Wellington. He has been fitting OrthoK lenses since 2002 and is a Fellow of the International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control (IAOMC). Andrew has been actively involved in the profession of optometry, serving two terms as President of the NZ Association of Optometrists. He has been a mentor to other optometrists in OrthoK and other specialty contact lenses and also is an Honorary Teaching Fellow for the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Auckland. Outside of optometry, Andrew enjoys sports of many codes, cooking (and eating) and gardening – especially if it involves power tools.
Warren is the youngest member of the team and his practice, Invision Eyecare, is located in the lovely suburb of Lavender Bay in North Sydney. He has been fitting OrthoK for 9 years and is a Fellow of the International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control (IAOMC). He believes there’s always more to learn in the specialty contact lens world, especially with OrthoK, and aims to bring this knowledge to other practitioners and to his growing practice. Warren enjoys spending time with his wife, running after their toddler. He is passionate about the environment and loves a good hiking/camping/spearfishing trip.
As well as helping optometrists in Australia and New Zealand fit orthoK, Shonit was involved in the research & development team that developed Innovative Contacts Forge orthoK lenses. He is the Fellowship Chair of the International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control (IAOMC) for Oceania, and is the Director and Principal Optometrist of the renown Melbourne-based specialty contact lens practice, Vision Camberwell.
Over the last 12 years, Shonit has been slowing myopia progression by fitting custom orthoK lenses to children as young as five, and is one of few practitioners regularly fitting hyperopic orthoK. He volunteers his time running the Fellowship program that awards optometrists who demonstrate mastery in OrthoK fitting, and gets immense satisfaction knowing optometrists are applying their advanced knowledge to slow myopia progression.
