Cather Simpson

Cather is a Professor of Physics and Chemical Sciences at the University of Auckland and a Partner at Pacific Channel, with expertise in lasers and photonics. She is a Director of the International Society for Optics & Photonics (SPIE) and Founder Director for Orbis Diagnostics. She serves on the Advisory Boards of the Paihau–Robinson Research Institute at Victoria University and the New Zealand Product Accelerator. In 2010, Dr. Simpson founded and directed The Photon Factory at the University of Auckland. She is a founder of three hard-tech start-ups, including Engender Technologies, where she served as Chief Science Officer from 2011 to 2021. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi and was awarded their 2019 Pickering Medal for excellence in technology and innovation.

She holds a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies.