MEET OUR SPEAKERS
Luke Arundel
Luke graduated with Honours in Optometry from QUT in 1998 and has worked extensively in Australia and Ireland. He currently holds fellowships with the BCLA, CCLSA and IACLE and became an Adjunct Associate Professor of the University of Missouri, St Louis, USA in 2008.
He has been a guest lecturer at state and international contact lens conferences and at the University of New South Wales, University of Melbourne, Deakin and Queensland University of Technology schools of Optometry. He is currently employed as Chief Clinical Officer for Optometry Australia and provides professional services assistance to members in Medicare Professional Services Review trials, audits, investigations and medico-legal matters along with leading development of resources and special projects.
Dr Kristin Bell
Dr Kristin Bell is a comprehensive ophthalmologist.
She is the Director of Surgery and Head of the Eye Department at the Royal Hobart Hospital and Chair of the Tasmanian Eye Health Network.
She is the RANZCO Vision 2030 and Beyond Clinical Lead, and chairs the RANZCO Tasmanian Branch, STP, and Regionally Enhanced Training Network Education committees.
She has a strong interest in health advocacy – in particular, fair, and equitable access to health services regardless of postcode, ethnicity, or income.
Dr Dean Cugley
Dr Dean Cugley is a fellowship trained Uveitis Subspecialist Ophthalmologist based in Launceston, Tasmania. He obtained his MBBS (Hons) at UTAS in 2010 before undertaking Ophthalmology training at the Eye & Ear Hospital in Melbourne. He joined Launceston Eye Institute after returning from fellowships in the UK, and has a wide-ranging practice.
Dr Zoe Deuxberry
Zoe is the senior orthoptist at the Royal Hobart Hospital eye clinic, specialising in strabismus and paediatric eye care. She serves on the board of directors of Orthoptics Australia and is a member of the Tasmania Eye Care Network. Zoe is passionate about improving the quality and access of childhood vision screening in Tasmania.Dr Dean Cugley is a fellowship trained Uveitis Subspecialist Ophthalmologist based in Launceston, Tasmania. He obtained his MBBS (Hons) at UTAS in 2010 before undertaking Ophthalmology training at the Eye & Ear Hospital in Melbourne. He joined Launceston Eye Institute after returning from fellowships in the UK, and has a wide-ranging practice.
Damon Hannay
Damon graduated Optometry from QUT in 2006 with First Class Honours and the University Medal. He returned to QUT in 2009 to complete his ocular therapeutics before moving to Launceston, Tasmania to work as a clinical optometrist. In 2016 he became an Optometry Director at Specsavers Launceston and now leads a team of 9 optometrists.
Damon has a special interest in advanced contact lens fitting (including keratoconus and orthokeratology) as well as the management of glaucoma. He is passionate about collaborative care and has been proactively involved in setting up a glaucoma shared care model in Northern Tasmania. In 2024 he completed the Advanced Certificate in Glaucoma through the ACO and in early 2025 he received Advanced Practice Recognition in Glaucoma from Optometry Australia.
Prof David Mackey
Prof David Mackey AO is a medical graduate of the University of Tasmania who trained in ophthalmology at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. After his doctorate these on Leber hereditary optic neuropathy at the University of Melbourne he did fellowships in genetic eye disease in Baltimore US and London UK.
After returning to Australia in 1994 he set up the Glaucoma Inheritance Study in Tasmania (examining 2,000 people with glaucoma and 3,000 of their relatives) in 2000 he started the Twins Eye Study in Tasmania and Brisbane (examining 2,000 twins and 200 siblings).
In 2009 he moved to Perth as Managing Director of the Lions Eye Institute and ran eye examinations on the Raine Study (1,350 20-year-olds) on the Busselton Healthy Aging Study (5,000 baby boomers) and more recently 5-8 year olds from the ORIGINS and Raine Generation-3 cohorts.
He is currently Vice President of the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and is on the Council of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.
Dr Nathan Nielsen
Dr Nathan Nielsen is a comprehensive ophthalmologist and eye surgeon who practices in Hobart and also provides visiting eyecare services to Devonport.
After growing up in regional Queensland, Nathan studied optometry, subsequently working as an optometrist for several years, before training as a doctor. He completed his eye surgical training at Sydney Eye Hospital before undertaking subspecialty training at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in the United Kingdom, gaining further experience in cataract surgery, glaucoma, oculoplastics, and strabismus.
He returned to Tasmania with his family in 2019, taking up Consultant Ophthalmologist positions at Precision Eye Clinic and the Royal Hobart Hospital.
Alex Rigby
Alex Rigby, Professional Services Manager at Rodenstock, is an optometrist with over 25 years of experience in the optical industry including owning and managing a number of Independent stores in the UK. Having started his career in lens manufacturing, dispening and later Optometry and practice ownership, Alex has a deep insight into of every facet of optical care.
Nicholas Willson
Nick graduated from the University of Canberra in 2023 and serves as a committee member for ECOVSAT and SAVSAT, and a board member of OTAS. In late 2025, he completed the ACO’s advanced certificate in children’s vision, with a grant from the Tasmanian Optometry Foundation. Today, he’ll be speaking about his experience with the course and how that support contributed to his development.
Michael Yapp
Michael is currently the CPD program Manager for optometry Australia, Lead Optometrist at Access Eye Centre and an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at UNSW. He has had a wide variety of roles in the eye industry working clinically across Australia, in the UK, in several ophthalmology practices at UNSW and more recently heading up the Centre for Eye Health. He has also worked in an optical charity and worked in Policy and Advocacy for Optometry Australia as well as a being a staff optometrist and guest lecturer at UNSW.
He has a particular interest in collaborative care and education as well as focussing on providing accessible, timely eye care in particular for glaucoma and macular disease.