Board of Directors

AMANDA FRENCH

President 

Amanda French, PhD, BAppSci (Orth) Hons 1M, GradCert (Higher Ed), AOBR

A/Prof Amanda French is Head of the Discipline of Orthoptics at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Amanda graduated as an orthoptist from the University of Sydney with first class honours and the university medal in 2007 and completed her PhD in 2013. Amanda has extensive experience in the university sector, having held teaching, research and leadership positions in orthoptics and health sciences since 2008. She has been an academic at UTS since the establishment of the Master of Orthoptics in 2014, and as Course Director has had a leading role in development and quality assurance of the curriculum. She has worked clinically in both public and private settings and has expertise in paediatrics, ocular motility and neuro-orthoptics- aligning with her areas of teaching.

Amanda has a strong research interest in the epidemiology of ocular conditions in pediatric populations, visual and refractive development in childhood, and eye health service delivery, including vision screening programs and post-stroke vision care. Her research has primarily focused on the development of myopia in children in response to environmental risk factors, a field in which she is considered a leading international researcher. Amanda also led the evaluation of the NSW Statewide Eyesight Preschooler Screening (StEPS) Program commissioned by NSW Health. She has been the recipient of various awards including, the Emmie Russell Prize (2008, 2009, 2011).

Amanda has been an active member of Orthoptics Australia (OA), as NSW Secretary (2013-2014), NSW Councillor (2014-2020) and NSW Chair (2018-2020). She became a member of the OA Federal Council (later OA Board) in 2018 and was appointed as OA Vice President (2020-2022) and later President (2022-current). In these leadership roles, Amanda has represented orthoptics on several Allied Health Professions Australia and Vision 2020 Committees and in various consultative forums including, RANZCO 2030 and the Allied Health Industry Reference Group. She has led submissions related to the Australian Government Scope of Practice Review, the National Allied Health Workforce Strategy and the National Regulation and Accreditation Scheme review, among others. Amanda has chaired OA committees including, the Membership Committee, Research Committee and Communication, Advocacy and Policy Committee.  Amanda was a member of the OA Conference Scientific Committee in 2015, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and was Board representative on the Conference Organising Committee in 2023. In 2025, Amanda was on the Scientific Program Committee for the International Orthoptic Congress in Brisbane.

MELANIE CORTES

Executive Committee

Melanie Cortes - BAppSc (Orth) Hons Class I, Cert IV Leadership and Management

Melanie is the Orthoptics Discipline Advisor for South-Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD) and Orthoptic Department Head at Sydney/Sydney Eye Hospital. Since graduating in 2007 from the University of Sydney with first class honours, she has worked in both private and public settings and has expertise in areas of strabismus, ocular motility, paediatrics, neuro-ophthalmology, glaucoma and cataract.

With over 10 years’ experience in strategic and operational leadership, and professional governance, Melanie advocates for orthoptists and the valuable role they play in enhancing the patient experience and patient outcomes as part of the multidisciplinary eyecare team. 

She is passionate about embedding sustainable system-wide changes that are data-driven. Melanie has led development and implementation of tiered virtual models of care for chronic eye conditions in partnership with ophthalmology sub-specialists, where orthoptists are supported to work at advanced scope of practice. As a result, patients have access to timely appropriate care for glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, strabismus and ocular motility disorders. 

Melanie is actively involved in several state-wide projects for allied health and eyecare services. She has a consultative role within SESLHD and to NSW Health and other key pillars, including the Agency of Clinical Innovation (ACI), where she is a member of the ACI Orthoptic Standing Committee and co-chair of the ACI Ophthalmology Governing Body Network.

FELICIA ADINANTO

Executive Committee

Felicia Adinanto BSci, MOrth, PhD

Dr Felicia Adinanto graduated from the Master of Orthoptics at the University of Sydney in 2014, receiving the Dean’s Scholar and Lance-Jolly awards. She worked as a clinical orthoptist until the completion of her PhD in 2020 and has since worked as an Orthoptic Academic at UTS. Felicia’s research on visual outcomes for infants admitted to NICU was supported by the OA research grant.

Since 2015, Felicia has actively contributed to Orthoptics Australia through the NSW Branch, Finance Committee, Research Committee, Continuing Education Committee and, Board Advisory Forum. She is chief investigator for the 2025 Orthoptic Workforce Survey and is committed to disseminating the results to progress the advancement of the orthoptic profession into the future.

TERRY COUPER

Terry Couper

Terry has worked in private, public and research clinical areas of Orthoptics after graduating in 1985.A past President Orthoptics Association Vic Branch, Terry also had a  period working in industry with contact lenses and registration of Voltaren in Australia. Later, returning to Orthoptics, Terry was part an international research team establishing the first refractive Excimer Laser in Australia as Orthoptist Unit Manager in 1995. This was a combination of private ophthalmologists with the Melb Uni Dept of Ophthalmology and the RVEEH.

Terry has also been associated with the Lions Eye Donation Service since 1996 and is part of the transplant team at the Eyebank.Terry was part of the team liaising with industry and public health centers for the clinical trials for introduction of corneal cross linking for keratoconus. Terry is a representative for EBAANZ on the Prevention and Early Intervention Committee Vision 2020, and in the past a casual lecturer for Undergraduate Orthoptic students [corneal units and refractive] and Corneal Fellow training program [refractive unit training].

FIONA LAU

Fiona Lau BSci, MOrth

Fiona graduated from the University of Sydney with a Master of Orthoptics in 2015 and has been a member of Orthoptics Australia since the start of her university training. She began her orthoptic career at a large ophthalmology clinic situated within a private university hospital, where she developed her skills across a range of subspecialities from paediatrics to general ophthalmology. This experience exposed her to collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams and caring for patients in both outpatient and inpatient settings.

After several years, Fiona relocated and is currently employed at Flinders Medical Centre in South Australia. Her work still involves seeing patients across all the ophthalmology subspecialties, but now with a particular focus on strabismus and paediatric eye conditions. Fiona also takes part in clinical trials and orthoptic-led clinics at FMC, as well as clinical supervision and assessment of final year orthoptic students.

Fiona was a qualified teacher prior to her orthoptic career and held various teaching positions both within the private sector, as well as with the NSW Department of Education. She was also employed internationally as an assistant teacher with a municipal Board of Education in Japan.

KAREN MILL

Finance Committee Chair

Karen Mill, BAppSci (Orthoptics) Hons, DOBA, MOA, AOBR

Karen completed her orthoptics degree with honours winning both the J Ringland Anderson and Diana Craig memorial prizes. She has extensive clinical experience in all areas of ophthalmology but has a special interest in paediatrics, strabismus, ocular motility and neuro-ophthalmology. She has been an associate lecturer and tutor at La Trobe University and an active member of Orthoptics Australia at both a state and federal level throughout her career.

She has served on the Victorian Branch Executive Committee (1994 – 1998, 2002 – Present) and has been a Victorian State Representative on Federal Council (1995 – 1997, 2006 – 2019). She acted as the Federal Sponsorship & Advertising Manager (2006 – 2013) and as Federal Treasurer (2010 – 2019). She has been involved in organising a number of state branch workshops and scientific meetings as well as the Federal Conference. She was on the Conference Organising Committee (2008), Conference Scientific Committee (2012) and was joint Conference Convener (2016). 

She was the recipient of the Mary Wesson award in 2020. She has been a member of the board since 2019, sits on the Board Advisory committee and has been Chair of the Finance Committee since 2019.

RENEE KRIKORIAN

Company Secretary, Sonia Daniels - Association Professionals