Our Team Members
Dr. Debbie Simpson | BVSc MANZCVS (Small Animal Medicine) FANZCVS (Veterinary Dermatology)
Debbie completed a five year undergraduate veterinary degree at Massey University in New Zealand. On graduating in 2008 she was awarded the Pfizer (Zoetis) Internship at the Veterinary Specialist Group in Auckland, New Zealand – the opportunity to do this internship in her first year of practice was a wonderful experience and it was a privilege to work with the talented team of specialists at the Veterinary Specialist Group. During this year Debbie also worked as an emergency veterinarian on evenings and weekends at the Animal Emergency Centre.
In 2009 she moved to Australia to undertake a further internship at Veterinary Specialist Services in Brisbane which gave her more experience working with specialists in surgery and medicine. A residency in Veterinary Dermatology followed at the Melbourne Veterinary Specialist Centre from 2010-2013. In May 2013 she was accepted for further training at Cornell University in New York State with two of the most respected and best known veterinary dermatologists in the world, Dr Danny Scott and Dr Bill Miller.
In 2014 Debbie passed the Fellowship exams of the Australian & New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in Veterinary Dermatology and is now a Registered Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology. In 2016 she was a junior subject examiner and in 2017 & 2018 Debbie was the Head Examiner for the Dermatology Chapter of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists examining Dermatology Fellowship Candidates. From 2016 until present she has been active in co-ordinating the dermatology stream of the Science Week conference on the Gold Coast of Australia.
Ellie Clark | RVN Registered Veterinary Nurse
Ellie is originally from the south west of England where she started her veterinary nursing career in 2001. She qualified with a diploma in veterinary nursing from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2004 and worked in a busy first opinion practice as head nurse.
Ellie has always had a passion for travel and has volunteered and worked with a wide range of species in Africa, Namibia and Australia.
Travel brought Ellie to New Zealand in 2009 which she now calls home. She is an extremely experienced nurse who has worked in two small animal practices in New Zealand and also in a canine hydrotherapy centre. For two years she also taught the veterinary nursing qualification to students.
In 2018 Ellie won the prestigious title of the Hills “Veterinary Nurse of the Year” Award, a New Zealand wide award which has been launched to recognise veterinary nurses who advocate and significantly contribute to the care of their patients and who are an integral part of the veterinary health care team.
Ellie continues to keep up to date with new innovative ways to improve the profession, always interested and excited about new research that is coming out as she increases her knowledge of dermatology which she then uses to help junior vet nurses and vet nursing students by being proactive in teaching, mentoring and guiding them to a high standard of vet nursing.
Having great technical knowledge and skill, Ellie has presented on-line webinars in a clear concise, logical manners which were relevant to both vets and vet nurses. Feedback includes; ‘One of the best speakers I have listened to’, ‘Interesting and entertaining’, ‘very interesting talk, learnt a lot and refreshed my knowledge in certain areas’, ‘great to have CPD from a vet nurses point of view’.
On top of all of her work, Ellie has raised money for Breast Cancer Research, incorporating some of this into CPD events. In 2018 she has raised $13,000!
Ellie has a genuine passion and love of animals which always shows in her vet nursing care and she can often be seen going the extra mile for both patients and vets.
Ellie loves working alongside Debbie whilst enhancing her knowledge of dermatology to a high level. She has a keen interest in animal behaviour, and is certified in low stress handling for cats and dogs.
Christine Edwards | RVN
Christine was born and raised in Auckland and has had a lifelong passion for animals and a genuine love for helping people. She completed her Bachelor’s in Veterinary Nursing in 2023 and has been working in a small animal practice since 2021.
Her journey to veterinary nursing was shaped by years of experience in a wide range of customer service roles, both here in New Zealand and overseas. These experiences taught her how to communicate clearly, stay calm under pressure, and connect with people from all walks of life — skills she brings to every interaction with clients and their pets.
Working in veterinary care allows Christine to combine her compassion for animals with her commitment to excellent client service. She understands how important it is for pet owners to feel supported and informed, and always strives to make each visit as stress-free and positive as possible.
A strong believer in lifelong learning, Christine enjoys expanding her knowledge through new nursing techniques, continuing education, and learning from the talented teams she works alongside. She’s now excited to grow her skills with the amazing Skin Vet team and to explore the fascinating, ever-evolving world of dermatology for our furry friends.
When she’s not at the clinic cuddling your pets, you’ll usually find Christine spending time with her scottie (Frankie), exploring the outdoors, buried in a good book, or planning her next overseas adventure.
