Derek MacDonald, OD
Dr. MacDonald graduated from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry in 1992, and began full-scope private practice in Waterloo with special interest in ocular and systemic disease. He is a past-President of the Ontario Association of Optometrists and retired Council Member of the College of Optometrists of Ontario, a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and Chair of the AAO International Admittance Committee 5B, and a member of the Optometric Glaucoma and Optometric Retina Societies. He co-authored the Canadian Association of Optometrists Clinical Guidelines for both glaucoma and diabetes, and sat on the Clinical Advisory Expert Panel that crafted Glaucoma Quality Statements for Health Quality Ontario. His research, lecturing, and writing interests are primarily focused on glaucoma, retinal vascular disease, and ophthalmic imaging.
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Sarah MacIver OD, FAAO
Dr. MacIver is an associate clinical professor at the University of Waterloo, School of Optometry and Vision Science and is chair of the continuing professional development program. Dr. MacIver completed her residency in ocular disease from the SUNY State College of Optometry. She is an optometrist with a special interest in the treatment and management of chronic ocular disease, specifically glaucoma, retina and dry eye. She has been invited to speak at various continuing education events nationally and internationally. Areas of research include glaucoma, imaging, dry eye disease, inter-professional collaboration with primary healthcare and optometric education. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, program chair of the Glaucoma Special Interest Group with the American Academy of Optometry and a member of the Optometric Glaucoma Society.
Nir Shoham-Hazon MD
Dr. Shoham-Hazon is a Glaucoma and Advanced anterior segment surgeon in Miramichi NB where he is the director of the Miramichi EyeNB Centre of Excellence. During his fellowship at the university of Toronto, Dr. Shoham-Hazon has received numerous awards for presentations in international conferences and research grants for numerous research studies. Dr. Shoham was recently appointed chair of EPSAC - eye physicians and surgeons of Atlantic Canada, where his goal is to implement equality for Ophthalmologists working in Rural Canada and raise awareness for Rural Ophthalmology.
Dr. Shoham-Hazon has academic affiliations with Dalhousie and Memorial universities as Assistant and Clinical Assistant Professor respectively.
Heather Fennell BSc, MSc, OC(C), COMT
Orthoptists are allied health care professionals in the field of ophthalmology. For 16 years, Heather worked as an associate professor and senior clinical orthoptist at the IWK Health Centre and Dalhousie University’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Her clinical practice focuses mainly on the visual development of infants and children, with a special interest in the area of low vision. In addition to her pediatric practice, she also sees adults who suffer from double vision. While working at the IWK, she met her husband, Dr. Mauricio Aldrete (who is now the pediatric ophthalmologist for New Brunswick). In 2021, Heather and her husband officially relocated to New Brunswick, opened their practice with Vitalite Health Network, and welcomed a daughter named Lucia. This year promises to be an exciting one as well, as they will welcome their second daughter in March 2023. In addition to working in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Heather has also provided ophthalmic care in India and Malaysia, and she and her husband continue working with not-for-profits in Saint Lucia and Mexico.
Adrian Mauricio Aldrete Lopez, MD
Dr. Aldrete is New Brunswick’s pediatric ophthalmologist, based at the Dr. Georges L Dumont University Hospital, in Moncton New Brunswick. Dr. Aldrete completed his medical degree at the Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, then completed ophthalmology residency training at the Monterrey Institute of Technology. After rotating at the Wills Eye Hospital (Philadelphia), he completed a two-year fellowship in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Adult Strabismus at the IWK Health Centre/Dalhousie University, in Halifax. Dr. Aldrete has a keen interest in global healthcare and has provided his surgical skills to patients in underserviced areas of Saint Lucia, Mexico and Central America. Dr. Aldrete has been practicing in New Brunswick since the Fall of 2020, providing ophthalmological care for children and adults with strabismus in English, French and Spanish. His practice also includes an orthoptic clinic, with two orthoptists (Heather Fennell and Jennifer Wynberg)
Roshni Echharam, OD
Dr. Echharam, originally from Durban, South Africa, completed her Undergraduate degree in Optometry at the University of Durban-Westville in 1996. After graduation, she had the opportunity to work in rural Africa, where her interest in ocular disease was peaked. Due to economic instability in South Africa, Dr. Echharam immigrated to the United States in 1999. She was accepted in the international graduates’ program at the New England College of Optometry in June 2000 and graduated with a Doctor of Optometry degree with honors in 2002. Upon graduating from NECO, Dr. Echharam has worked in various retail and medical optometry settings in the US and Toronto. She still maintains a strong interest in the prevention and management of ocular disease and in August 2017 she opened her medical optometry practice, that has a dedicated Dry Eye Clinic and Specialty contact lens Centre.
Dr. Patrick & Margaret Augustine
Margaret Augustine, educator, researcher, food enthusiast, genealogist. Margaret is now teaching in the Faculty of Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research, and Applied Studies (IKERAS) at UPEI. She has recently co-authored a Mi’kmaq cookbook which will be published in the fall of 2023.
Dr Patrick Augustine is Míkmaw from Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick. His research interests centre on the dispossession of the Mi’kmaq from their traditional district of Sikniktuk, often called Chignecto and writes about First Nations’ relationship to their traditional lands and Treaties between the Wabanaki and the British Crown. Patrick is Assistant Professor within the Faculty of IKERAS.