Dr Jo Sims, MBChB (Auckland), FRANZCO
Refractive cataract surgeon
Medical Retina and Uveitis Specialist
Medical retina and uveitis fellowship, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, 2006-07
Uveitis fellowship, Singapore National Eye Centre, 2007-08
Appointments available Remuera, Albany and Freemans Bay
About Jo's career
Jo graduated with a medical degree from the University of Auckland in 1999 before training in
general ophthalmology in Auckland and Hamilton. She then underwent two years of
post-fellowship subspecialty training in Singapore and Melbourne between 2006 and
2008 in the areas of medical retina and uveitis (inflammatory eye problems).
Jo is the only ophthalmologist in New Zealand to have full sub-specialty training in uveitis and
the management of ocular inflammatory disease, and has particular interest in this area
(including immune-mediated eye diseases and ocular infections). She currently runs the uveitis
clinics for the Auckland region, based at Greenlane Clinical Centre, and provides tertiary care for
complicated uveitis patients from across New Zealand.
Jo also has fellowship training and expertise in the field of medical retina including the
management of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy. Services
provided by Jo at Auckland Eye include fluorescein angiography, OCT, retinal laser, photodynamic
therapy and intravitreal therapies for macular degeneration. Additionally, Jo is an experienced
small incision refractive cataract surgeon and has a wide experience of general ophthalmology.
Jo has been a fellow of RANZCO since 2007 and is a member of the Uveitis Special Interest
Group for Australia and New Zealand, and the Oceania Retinal Association. She regularly lectures
and provides clinical teaching to other ophthalmologists and ophthalmology trainees, medical
students, hospital physicians, optometrists and general practitioners and is a Senior Lecturer
for the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland. Jo is also a Royal Australian and
New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) Trainee Supervisor for junior
ophthalmologists and is the RANZCO Qualifications and Education Committee member for the
Auckland regional training scheme. In 2009 she received an award from the college for
Excellence in Training. Furthermore, she is the ophthalmologist representative on the
Quality Committee at Auckland District Health Board.
Jo has provided a medical retina service to the Cook Islands on an annual basis since 2002
and previously spent 3 months running a charitable eye clinic in rural India.
Jo is author, or co-author, of numerous papers mainly in the area of uveitis as well as being
co-author of the Atlas of Systemic Diseases and Ocular Signs, Elsevier (Singapore) 2009.
About Jo
Jo finds her work to be very stimulating and particularly enjoys the interaction with patients
of all ages. Many patients that Jo cares for have chronic eye conditions, and require long-term
management, and she believes it is essential to have good communication to enable the
patient to understand their disease process and treatment options.
Jo’s interests outside of ophthalmology include running and she has recently completed her
first marathon in New York, and now has her sights set on a second marathon in Paris. She
also enjoys tramping and other outdoor activities, and spending time with her two young nieces.
