DANDAN LU
OPTOMETRIST l BOPTOM (HONS)
Dandan is an experienced optometrist who brings a genuine passion for delivering the highest standard of eye care to every patient she sees.
With a career spanning more than a decade across some of New Zealand's most respected clinical and retail optometry settings, she has developed a broad and deep base of knowledge that she draws on in every consultation.
Dandan graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Optometry (Second Class Honours, First Division) and a therapeutic (TPA) endorsement, going on to complete a Summer Research Scholarship with the university's Department of Optometry and Visual Science. She is currently working toward independent glaucoma prescribing rights.
Her clinical experience is wide-ranging and impressive. At the Eye Institute, Dandan worked as senior optometrist alongside a team of medical retina ophthalmologists, acting as the first point of contact for patients and playing a leading role in introducing refractive laser as a new service - a project that involved specialist training with leading equipment providers and upskilling the wider team. She went on to work within the ophthalmology department at Middlemore Hospital, running independent diabetes and glaucoma clinics and working closely alongside senior medical officers, an experience that broadened her clinical exposure and deepened her empathy for a diverse patient community.
Earlier in her career, four years at a corporate optometry practice gave Dandan a strong foundation in high-volume primary care optometry, sharpening her time management and her ability to build rapport quickly with a wide variety of patients, many of whom returned to see her time and again and referred their friends and family into her care. More recently, as a locum optometrist working nationwide, she has developed an appreciation for a more individualised, tailored approach to eye care within smaller, close-knit practice teams.
Fluent in both English and Mandarin, Dandan is known for being approachable, genuine, and thorough, she won't let a patient leave until she's confident they understand their eye health and the plan going forward. Outside the practice, Dandan enjoys travel, hiking and mountaineering, fine arts, and spending time with her dogs.