Dr. Lavinder grew up in the Central Valley of CA. She decided to shadow her childhood optometrist during high school and became fascinated with the field of eye care. She attended University of California, Los Angeles and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Physiological Sciences. In her free time, she volunteered at various optometry offices in LA County and worked at the Low Vision Rehabilitation Center in the Jules Stein Eye Institute.
After college, Dr. Lavinder earned her Doctor of Optometry degree from Southern California College of Optometry. Her clinical training shaped her into a well-rounded eye care provider: she practiced primary eye care at the Travis Air Force Base Hospital, treated a variety of ocular pathology at a community clinic in Downtown LA, and worked closely alongside ophthalmologists, co-managing cataract and refractive surgery patients in Las Vegas. Dr. Lavinder is a glaucoma-certified optometrist, a MiSight Certified Eyecare Provider, and an affiliate of NVISION Eye Center.
Dr. Lavinder speaks some Cantonese and Spanish. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, daughters, and cat.