SOUTHERN EYE SPECIALISTS - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Paediatric Ophthalmologist

Job Titles:

• Specialist - Diseases & Surgery of the Retina

Dr Genevieve Oliver has spent over 20 years moving around New Zealand, Australia, and beyond to gain world-class experience and expertise as a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Vitreoretinal Surgeon. Dr Oliver now has a prodigious skillset and extensive leadership experience. She was chair of the Women in Ophthalmology Group from 2016 to 2019 and has served on the RANZCO Council, RANZCO Diversity & Inclusion Committee and the South Australian RANZCO Branch Committee. She currently divides her time between Southern Eye Specialists and Christchurch Hospital, while serving on the New Zealand RANZCO Qualification and Education Committee.

Job Titles:

• Consultant

Dr Jo-Anne Pon is a consultant ophthalmologist with subspecialty interests in oculoplastics, neuro-ophthalmology and strabismus. She is also an experienced cataract surgeon. She is a director here at Southern Eye Specialists and is also involved with registrar training and education At The Eye Clinic at Christchurch Hospital, where she jointly leads the neuro-ophthalmic service. Her main interest is in the management of eyelid malignancies and reconstruction, cataract surgery, neuro-ophthalmology and strabismus.

Dr Logan Robinson is characteristically humble when asked what drove him to ophthalmology. "I was okay at sciences at school and a few teachers said, ‘oh you could go do medicine or something science-based' - and I liked learning the biological and physiological processes of how things worked," he says.

Job Titles:

• Consultant Ophthalmologist
• Specialist

Dr Rahul Dwivedi provides a wide range of specialist knowledge and insightful, empathetic care in his work here, ensuring patients receive the highest standards of treatment. Dr Dwivedi worked in the public health service in England before travelling to New Zealand to complete a year-long fellowship at the University of Auckland and work with the Auckland District Health Board. From there he moved south to take up a position at the CDHB as glaucoma clinical lead and into his role at Southern Eye Specialists.

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Consultant at Christchurch Hospital

Dr Stack's experience and acumen provide a perfect mix of big picture thinking and small detail focus to her work here. She has volunteered for VOSO (Volunteer Ophthalmic Services Overseas), travelling around the Pacific providing cataract surgery and eye care, and offers her time at the Christchurch Charity Hospital. The South Island's only purpose-built eye facility, Christchurch Eye Surgery, grew from her initiative, and she is also a mentor for women in leadership and a member of Global Women NZ. More recently, she also was elected to the Board of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO).

After four decades in ophthalmology there's not much Dr Robert Weatherhead hasn't seen, particularly in his specialty areas of oculoplastic and reconstructive surgery. With extensive experience in international teaching hospitals, and a desire to stay at the cutting edge of technological developments he is truly a master in his field.

Dr Dickson Wong joins Southern Eye Specialists as a highly trained and passionate ophthalmologist, with a subspeciality in Glaucoma and Oculoplastics, and a wealth of experience in complex cataract surgery. After finishing his ophthalmology training in Christchurch, Dr Wong completed a two- year dual fellowship in Oculoplastics and Glaucoma at Wellington Regional Hospital. This was promptly followed by another full-year fellowship at Birmingham Midland Eye Centre (BMEC) in the UK, where he honed his skills undertaking Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS). Currently, Dr Wong divides his work time between his work as a Consultant Ophthalmologist at Christchurch Public Hospital and his role at Southern Eye Specialists. His experience is bolstered by leadership and collegial roles which have seen him serve as chairperson of the RANZCO Trainee Representative Group, on the Executive Working Group review panel for the college's training curriculum, and as a member of the General Council. An inclination towards biology from a very young age paved the way to Dr Dickson Wong's subsequent career in ophthalmology. While Dickson's curiosity for the complexities and eccentricities of the human body caused his parents some consternation when he was a young boy, this childhood fascination soon presented itself as a calling of sorts. "As a child I was always fascinated by human biology," he says. "I used to bug my parents to bring me to Body Worlds exhibitions. The exhibits kind of freaked out my parents and siblings, but I just marveled at the intricacies of the human body." The interest continued into his high school biology classes, which was more botany- based than Dickson may have liked. Still, the science at the heart of the work stoked further inspiration for studying medicine. A medical career wasn't a foregone conclusion, however.

Job Titles:

• Chief Financial Officer
• Member of the Management Team

Job Titles:

• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Operations Manager

Job Titles:

• General Manager
• Member of the Management Team