Our Optometrists and Therapists
Dr. Diana Yew, BSc., O.D., FCOVD
Dr. Diana Yew received her Honours Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Waterloo with Dean’s Honours. During her university career, she received multiple awards including the FYidoctors Clinical Leadership Award, the VSP/FYidoctors AOF Practice Excellence Scholarship, and the J. Pat Cummings Scholarship for her academic performance, outstanding patient care, and community service.
Dr. Yew completed an intensive clinical externship at the Lexington Veteran Affairs Medical Centre in Kentucky, where she routinely diagnosed and managed ocular diseases including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, glaucoma, and dry eye syndrome.
Dr. Yew has a special interest in Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation and has helped manage binocular vision disorders in people of all ages. Her strong interest and clinical skill have led her to receive the COVD Award for Excellence in Vision Therapy. She is also a board certified Fellow of the College of Optometrists of Vision Development.
Community service is an important part of Dr. Yew’s optometry career and personal life. Dr. Yew has gone on an eye care mission trip to Honduras with plans to go on similar trips in the future. In her spare time, she enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with family and friends.
Dr. Yew is also fluent in English, Cantonese, Mandarin and Chiuchow. She looks forward to meeting you and caring for your eye health needs.
Dr. Minal Patel, BSc., O.D.
Dr. Patel earned her bachelor of science with honours from the University of Toronto, majoring in neuroscience. She then graduated from the New England College of Optometry in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Patel completed an internship with ophthalmologists at Omni Eye Services in Atlanta, Georgia, where she was involved in co-management of patients with glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal conditions such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. She then had the opportunity to complete an internship at Northampton Vision Specialists in Northampton, Massachusetts where she gained experience with vision therapy and patients suffering from binocular vision disorders. Dr. Patel also completed internships at the West Roxbury Veteran Affairs Hospital and multiple community health centres in Boston, providing a full scope of care to veterans and civilians.
Dr. Patel is registered and in good standing with the College of Optometrists of Ontario and is certified to prescribe Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agents (TPAs). She is a member of the Ontario Association of Optometrists and Canadian Association of Optometrists. She is certified to practice in the United States as well as Canada. Dr. Patel is involved in vision therapy and interested in keeping up with the latest technology in optometry.
Dr. Patel was born and raised in Pickering, Ontario. She is excited to be back home and provide excellent eye care to her community! In her spare time, Dr. Patel enjoys playing piano, guitar, and swimming.
Dr. Sumeya Mao, BSc., O.D.
Dr. Sumeya Mao studied Biological Science at Ontario Tech University, before receiving her Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Waterloo with Dean’s honours. She completed several internships with local optometrists, where she was exposed to a variety of ocular diseases, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. She also worked closely with an ophthalmologist and helped with pre- and post-op procedures for in-office laser treatments.
Dr. Mao is a member of the Ontario Association of Optometrists and the Canadian Association of Optometrists. She enjoys providing comprehensive eye care to patients of all ages. She enjoys actively playing a role in maintaining her patients' eye health and vision. In particular, she has interests in dry eye disease.
Dr. Mao was born in Guelph, Ontario, but now considers Oshawa and the Durham region to be her home. She is very excited to provide eye care to her community. When not in the clinic, she enjoys reading, finding new cafes to try, and spending quality time with her family
Emma Thomson, Vision Therapist, PVTAP
Emma graduated from Durham College with a certificate in Finance, but made a career change when she realized her love and passion for helping others. She has years of experience working with children, and was previously involved with performing neurodevelopmental movement (NDM) activities for pediatric clients. Emma has successfully completed the Practical Vision Therapy Accreditation Program (PVTAP) here in Canada, and continues to attend courses and workshops to further her knowledge in Vision Therapy.
Although she has a knack for connecting with children, Emma equally enjoys her time with adult patients, and more specifically, concussion patients. She believes each patient is unique, and curates and adapts her therapy approach according to a patient’s strengths and needs.
In her spare time, Emma enjoys the outdoors with friends and her dogs. She has a love for rescuing animals, reading, and spending the majority of her time discovering new hiking spots. On summer weekends, you can find Emma exploring and camping as she works her way through her bucket list of visiting all of the Ontario Parks.
Emma blends her innate passion to help others with her patience and ability to empathize, to bring positive and effective therapy experiences to all her patients. She truly believes there is nothing more rewarding than watching her patients achieve their vision-related goals in Vision Therapy.
