Katelyn Tsang is a third year optometry student at the University of Waterloo. Originally from Thornhill, Ontario, she earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Ottawa in 2019. She first developed an interest in optometry when she worked as a co-op student at a clinic in high school. During her undergraduate studies, she founded Insight uOttawa, a pre-optometry club, and also dedicated her time to peer mentoring and volunteer work with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) and Swimming With A Mission (SWAM) Canada. In her spare time, Katelyn enjoys cooking/baking, running and playing tennis.
Prior to the start of optometry school, Katelyn spent her summers working as a Research Assistant in the Human Visual Neuroscience Lab (HVNL) under the direction of Dr. Ben Thompson, where she discovered a passion for research in vision science. She has been involved with various projects in the lab focused on the plasticity of the human visual cortex. She continues to actively participate in research as an optometry student. Katelyn has developed a keen interest in the potential role of non-invasive brain stimulation as an approach to vision rehabilitation in patients with macular degeneration. After graduation, she looks to pursue a Master’s degree in Vision Science and plans to continue conducting vision science research as a future clinician.
Katelyn is currently serving as the Mentorship Director of the Canadian Association of Optometry Students (CAOS) for the 2021-2022 school year. She recognizes the value in connecting students with mentors who foster personal growth and professional development. She looks forward to organizing this year’s mentorship programs and hopes to deliver impactful networking opportunities for her fellow peers.