Dr. Sim Sandhu completed his Honours in Biology and minor in Health Sciences from the University of Ottawa, where he also captained the men's varsity hockey team. He then completed both his Doctor of Medicine and Ophthalmology training at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, where he had the honor of serving as Co-Chief Resident. During his training, Dr. Sandhu performed hundreds of intraocular surgeries under the direction of some of the top eye surgeons in Western Canada. He has also published numerous research articles in renowned journals, invited to conferences around the world to present his findings including the Canadian Ophthalmology Society conference and the American Academy of Ophthalmologists conference. He has been the recipient of multiple research awards including a two-time winner of the Reg Martiniuk prize for first place for his research at the University of Alberta, the Canadian Glaucoma Society best glaucoma paper award  and the Edwin Isaac Clarke Scholarship. He has been involved with a number of initiatives and projects pertaining to quality improvement throughout his residency and has taken additional courses and workshops in the area as well. He has helped describe the steps, hurdles, and recommendations for the implementation of Immediately Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery which was a solution to improving quality of care and surgical wait times during COVID-19. This project received national attention and endorsement. In his clinic, he can be found regularly mentoring and teaching medical students and residents and was nominated for the PARA clinical teaching award. He takes great pride in teaching the next generation of up and coming ophthalmologists.

Dr. M Hermina Strungaru is Associate Professor at University of Alberta and she is going to start her Program Director position on July 1st, 2023. She is an Ophthalmologist (M.D. eye physician and surgeon).  She sees adults and children and she is dealing with medical and surgical diseases of the eye. In 2003, Dr. Strungaru graduated with a Medical Degree in the top 5 percent of her class from the oldest and most prestigious medical school in Romania, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy-Bucharest. In the summer of 2002, she came to Canada for a three-month visit and had the amazing opportunity to volunteer in a medical research laboratory at University of Alberta. Because of her research experience in Edmonton, she decided to come to Canada, and went on to earn a PhD degree in the Ocular Genetics Laboratory at University of Alberta. Her research experienced solidified her desire to pursue a career in Ophthalmology. At the end of her PhD, she was accepted into the Ophthalmology residency program at the University of Toronto, from which she graduated in 2015. In 2015, Dr. Strungaru went to Philippines for a 7-day charitable mission to provide eye care and surgery for Filipinos who are financially disadvantaged. (Pictures) Besides her work, Dr. Strungaru enjoys spending time with her family, hiking and painting. 

Education 

2010 – 2015: University of Toronto Ophthalmology Residency Training Program, Toronto Ontario 

2004 – 2010: PhD program, Ocular Genetics – University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta 

1997 – 2003: MD program, Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania