Lauren Coetzee

Dr. Lauren Coetzee serves as Acting Head of Department for Optometry & Vision Sciences within the School of Applied Sciences at the University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom. She is an active faculty member and Research Degree Supervisor accepting PhD students, while also contributing as a Member of the Centre for Vision across the Life Span. Her professional activities include peer review for Clinical and Experimental Optometry journal and membership on the Republic of Ireland Health and Social Care Professionals Council.

Her research expertise centers on health science education with particular focus on optometric training methodologies, medical educator research perceptions, and student attitudes toward research. Key interest areas include simulation techniques in clinical education, research culture development within health science faculties, and productivity factors affecting academic staff. Her work demonstrates strong connections to South African health education systems, with 98% fingerprint alignment to Republic of South Africa contexts.

Dr. Coetzee maintains an active research profile with publications spanning 2018-2024, showing consistent output in medical education journals. Her three documented publications reveal expertise in developing educational tools for optometry training, analyzing research culture in health science faculties, and investigating student research attitudes at undergraduate levels.

As a Research Degree Supervisor, she actively mentors graduate students and contributes to academic development through conference presentations including topics on contact lens patient diagnostics and keratoconus management. Her professional activities demonstrate significant engagement with both UK and South African academic communities in vision sciences and health professions education.