Simone is an Australian Orthoptic Board accredited orthoptist and a prospective PhD student, due to begin her candidature in late 2026. Since completing a Masters of Orthoptics in 2020 at La Trobe University, Simone has worked in general ophthalmology clinics across regional and metropolitan Victoria. During her time in clinical practice, she developed a keen interest in the anterior eye while working in an orthoptist-led dry eye clinic, treating ocular surface disease. This interest led her to pursue research in this field, and in 2025 she completed a Masters of Biomedical Science degree at the University of Melbourne with the Downie Laboratory. During her studies, she investigated the effect of type 1 diabetes on ocular surface immunity, under the supervision of Prof Laura Downie and Dr Mengliang Wu, using Functional-IVCM (Fun-IVCM) imaging. She plans to continue her contribution to ocular surface research during her PhD, with a focus on auto-immunity in the anterior eye.  

When she is not in the laboratory or in the clinic, Simone enjoys staying active, whether it is swimming laps at the pool, playing Ultimate Frisbee, or cycling around town.