EMILIE LAWSON

Emilie holds a Bachelor of Biomedical Science from the University of Otago, majoring in Functional Human Biology. The neurophysiology Emilie was exposed to during her Biomedical degree, along with her passion for helping people, were driving forces to go on to study Optometry. She completed a Bachelor of Optometry with First Class Honours from The University of Auckland and tailored her Optometry studies around her particular interest in myopia progression and Ortho-K (Orthokeratology).

When the opportunity arose for Emilie to join Mortimer Hirst and work alongside other industry leaders in contact lens practice and ocular therapeutics, it was the perfect opportunity for her to be able to pursue and further develop her passion in Optometry. 

As a board-approved Optometrist Glaucoma Prescriber, Emilie can independently treat and manage glaucoma patients while collaborating with local Ophthalmologists; ensuring her patients have effective and efficient Glaucoma care.

Emilie is a CAA certified examiner and approved to complete Level One and Two New Zealand Police visual assessments for recruits. She is also a member of the NZAO and the Cornea and Contact Lens Society (CCLS). 

In 2011, Emilie was chosen to be part of the Antipodeans Abroad Healthcare Volunteer Team to Nepal. This included Rural Outreach clinics with the Lion Foundation and a six-week internship at Manipal Teaching Hospital, Optometry and Ophthalmology Department, Pokhara, Nepal. 

Emilie was awarded a summer studentship scholarship from the New Zealand Association of Optometrists (NZAO) in 2012, to help further research with the Auckland Myopia Laboratory on ‘The effect of complete and incomplete peripheral retinal defocus on myopia development in this check model’, supervised by Dr. John Phillips and his team.  The results of this research were presented at the International Myopia Conference (IMC) 2013, California.  

In 2014, Emilie was part of a team that completed leading research on Ortho-K regression, supervised by Grant Watters and Dr. Wanda Lam. This research titled ‘Factors affecting regression rate in successful orthokeratology lens wearers’ was awarded first equal by the New Zealand College of Optometrists (NZCO) for best research presentation. Emilie will present this research at the Cornea and Contact Lens Society (CCLS) Conference in 2018.  

Emilie has also worked on-set as a contact lens technician for two television series filmed in New Zealand, directed by leading film production companies MTV and Starz. In 2016, Emilie received the 2016 CCLS scholarship to assist her development as an Optometrist and upskill in her chosen area of contact lenses. Emilie used this scholarship overseas, learning about designing bespoke rigid gas permeable (RGP), ortho-k and scleral contact lenses. 

In 2017, Emilie presented at the CCLS conference in Nelson on ‘Techniques to compete with semi-scleral visual acuity and comfort with custom made RGP contact lenses in moderate keratoconus’. In 2017 Emilie also completed the Certificate in Advanced Contact Lenses through The Australian College of Optometry (ACO-CACL).