Allyson grew up in Gippsland, Victoria, and completed her veterinary degree at the University of Melbourne. After working as a tutor at Sydney University Veterinary School she completed an internship at Colorado State University followed by a Residency in Comparative Ophthalmology at the University of California, Davis. After earning her specialist qualification in 2011 Allyson returned to Australia where she worked in Sydney for 9 years before returning home to Victoria in 2021. She is particularly passionate about corneal and cataract surgery, cat eye disease, and effective and compassionate communication.