Our Practice in Dundas

With over 30 years of practice under her belt, Dr. Laura Thomas has no intention of slowing down anytime soon and still loves the challenge of being an optometrist.

Dr. Thomas graduated from the University of Waterloo Optometry program in 1994 on the Dean’s Honours List after working on her undergraduate degree in Honours Biology and Psychology at the University of Guelph and McMaster University. Over the next 9 years, she practiced in both North Hamilton and Ancaster optometry offices, joining the Dundas Optometry Clinic in 2002. She became a partner in the practice in 2007 and completed her therapeutic drug training in 2009. Dr. Thomas has a special interest in children’s vision and sees kids referred in by family physicians, pediatricians, and other patients from across the city. She feels privileged to provide eye care to the Dundas/Hamilton community, and she works very hard to keep up to date with new treatments and technologies as they develop.

When not wearing her “eye doctor” cap, Dr. Thomas enjoys spending time with her two adult children and friends. She enjoys downhill skiing, running, hiking, kayaking, canoeing and camping.

Dr. Katie Mann joined Dundas Optometry as an Associate in 2009 and was thrilled to become a partner in 2015.

Born and raised in West Hamilton, she first became a patient at Dundas Optometry, where Dr. Johnson later became her mentor.

She was also inspired to pursue eye care as a career by the 3 generations of ophthalmologists in her own family. After completing her Bachelor of Science at Queen’s University, Dr. Mann obtained her Doctor of Optometry degree at the University of Waterloo, graduating in 2009 on the Dean’s Honour List. During her final year of studies, she completed internships at Dundas Optometry, Image Optometry in Vancouver, and the Utah Eye Institute in Salt Lake City. Upon graduation, Dr. Mann travelled with a classmate to Ghana to volunteer with Unite for Sight, an NGO committed to providing eye care to remote communities in the developing world. For the first few years of her career, she split her time between Dundas Optometry and Spadina Optometry in downtown Toronto. As of 2015, she is at Dundas Optometry full-time.

She lives in Burlington with her husband and 2 sons. She enjoys travelling, skiing, and spending time with her family at their Muskoka cottage when she’s not at work.

Dr. Mariam Hermiz grew up in Leamington, a small town in Southern Ontario. After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, she obtained her Doctor of Optometry from the University of Waterloo in 2017. She graduated on the Dean’s Honour List and received the Alcon Award for Excellence in Contact Lenses.

During her clinical rotations, Dr. Hermiz interned with ophthalmologists at the Eye Centers of South Florida, where she gained experience diagnosing and treating eye diseases. She also participated in a mission trip to Honduras, where she helped provide eye care and glasses to the residents of Tela.
Dundas Optometry Clinic was the first optometry office she worked at after graduation, and it was love at first sight! She became a partner in 2023 and feels privileged to serve the Dundas community for many years. She is interested in specialty contact lenses and myopia control techniques and enjoys the challenges and rewards they bring.

Dr. Hermiz is fluent in both English and Neo-Aramaic. She lives in the small town of Paris with her husband. She explores new hiking paths, attends theatrical and musical performances, and travels to new destinations in her spare time.

Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Dr. Daina Sanderson set her career goal of becoming an optometrist at an early age. She graduated from the University of Waterloo with both her Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Doctor of Optometry degrees. Her training included internships in Edmonton, Alberta, and Ottawa, Ontario, focusing on pediatric exams, specialized contact lens fittings, and the diagnosis and treatment of various ocular infections and diseases.

Dr. Sanderson is a long-time member of the Canadian Association of Optometrists, the Ontario Association of Optometrists and the Hamilton and District Society of Optometrists. She has also recently been a part of the Indigenous Children’s Eye Examination (ICEE) group, which travels to provide eye examinations and glasses to the children of various First Nations communities. Dr. Sanderson has a keen interest in the health and well-being of families; she makes this a fundamental tenet of her services at Dundas Optometry Clinic, where she has thoroughly enjoyed serving the local community for over 15 years.

She, her husband, and their 2 active boys reside in Burlington, Ontario. As a group, they love skiing/snowboarding, baseball, and movies. Individually, Dr. Sanderson enjoys travelling, sewing and singing along to her 90’s playlists.

Dr. Aynsley Tinkham was born and raised in Mississauga. She obtained an Honours Bachelor’s in Science from the University of Western Ontario. She completed her Doctor of Optometry degree in 2014 at the New England College of Optometry in Boston, Massachusetts. During her final year of studies, she completed internships at Boston Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, with a focus on pediatric care, low vision and ocular disease, as well as the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts, where she provided primary eye care for war veterans.

After graduation, she worked with a group of ophthalmologists at Scarborough Eye Associates/Bochner Eye Institute in Scarborough, managing and co-managing patients with ocular disease.

Dr. Tinkham is highly dedicated to providing each patient with a complete and comprehensive eye examination. She firmly believes in patient education and prides herself in taking time to address her patients’ concerns and needs.

She enjoys spending time with her family, golfing, swimming, and watching football in her spare time.

Born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Dr. Leonard embarked on her journey in optometry after graduating with honours from McMaster University’s Arts & Science Program in 2014. She continued her academic pursuit by earning her Doctorate of Optometry from the University of Waterloo, where she was trained on the latest therapeutics and technologies in the field.

During her externship in Dallas, Texas, Dr. Leonard honed her skills and deepened her interest in treating ocular diseases. Over the past 6 years of practice, she has actively engaged in various children’s vision screening programs and provided essential eye care services to both children and adults in remote communities across Canada.

Dr. Leonard is excited about the continual advancements in optometry, which allow us to provide not only treatment but also preventative care, particularly in the field of myopia control.

Now, Dr. Leonard is thrilled to return to Dundas, where she is dedicated to delivering exceptional, comprehensive care tailored to each patient’s unique needs. Beyond her professional endeavours, she finds joy in dancing, hiking, writing, and exploring new destinations through travel.

Dr. Nicole Jankowski grew up in the Hamilton area and obtained an undergraduate degree in Bio-Medical Science from the University of Guelph, graduating with Honours. She then went on to complete her Doctor of Optometry degree at the University of Waterloo School of Optometry and Vision Science in 2021, graduating with Distinction. A highlight of her studies included travelling to Haiti where she provided eye care services to underserved communities. After practising in Waterloo, Dr. Jankowski is thrilled to be able to return to and provide eye care in her hometown of Dundas. In her spare time, she enjoys keeping active with yoga, biking, and travelling.

A long-time resident of Dundas, Sheri joined the practice in 1999 and is our intrepid office manager and certified optometric assistant. Sheri is an incredible team leader who keeps our office humming, which requires an incredible amount of work behind the scenes. Her dedication to her position often finds her going above and beyond for our patients, and we are very fortunate to have her with us.

Daniel started with us in 2017 and graduated from the opticianry program at Georgian College. He has worked in optometry offices and optical manufacturing labs since 2006 and brings a wealth of knowledge to our team. He provides our patients with superior customer service and expertise when selecting their next pair of eyewear and oversees the quality assurance and efficiency of our lab.

Kim started at Dundas Optometry in 2011 and became a certified optometric assistant in 2014. Kim gets excited to help each patient choose frames that frame their personality and choose lenses that match their lifestyle. Her years in the optical industry have taught her that a new pair of glasses do more than just help you see better, they help you look and feel better too.

Marilyn has been an integral part of our team since 2006 and became a certified optometric assistant in 2008. With her impeccable eye for trends and fashion, Marilyn is an expert at finding the perfect frame for each patient she works with. She brings her extensive knowledge of the optical field to ensure our patients achieve their best vision and put their best look forward in their new glasses.

We are excited to have Sarah join our team as of June 2024. Although new to our practice, Sarah has a long history in the optical industry.
She is excited to help each patient put their best look forward with a passion for fashion eyewear and extensive knowledge in lens design.

Natalie has been a part of our staff since 2012, Christine since 2020, and Dana since 2008. These 3 are the glue that keeps our office running swiftly and smoothly.

Natalie and Christine are the 2 smiling faces that welcome our patients when they enter our office. They are integral in caring for our patients’ needs while checking in or when phoning in with an inquiry.

Dana often works downstairs, but you may see her working at the front desk occasionally. Dana is responsible for the behind-the-scenes clerical work necessary to get our patients booked and keep our office running.

Felicity has been a part of the Dundas Optometry family since 2013, and Sharri since 2017. These 2 are well-equipped to perform specialty testing.

In June 2016, Felicity completed her courses to become a certified optometric assistant. An expert multi-tasker, Felicity can sometimes be found performing some of our specialized testing, including pretest, visual fields, and topography, and other times joins our front desk team in welcoming patients.

Sharri is also multifaceted and greets our patients with a smile when she checks in them. Most days, she performs some of our additional testing. She trains our new contact lens wearers on proper insertion, removal, and care.

Meet our awesome pretesters, Paige and Jenna. These ladies perform the preliminary testing before you see the optometrist, including the puff of air test everyone loves (yes, that’s sarcasm).

Paige and Jenna are undergraduate students at McMaster and these ladies sure know how to shoot for the stars. Paige is interested in becoming an optometrist and Jenna is interested in becoming an ophthalmologist.