Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR)

Abstracts open!

Hunter region student researchers and EMCRs, have you been working on something exciting? We’d love to hear about it via an oral, mini-oral or poster presentation at ASMR’s annual Hunter Region Scientific Meeting.

We’re keen to hear from presenters from all areas of health and medical research, including biomedical, bioengineering, clinical and public health.

📅 Abstracts close: 15 September 2024
✅ Apply here: https://asmr.org.au/asmr-mrw/newcastle/
🏆 Awards for the most outstanding presentations

A big thank you to our sponsors for making this year’s event possible:
National Medical Research Week 2024 sponsor: CSL
NSW Medical Research Week 2024 sponsor: NSW Health
Bronze sponsor of Medical Research Week in Newcastle: The University of Newcastle, Australia College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing

Abstracts open!

Victorian student researchers and EMCRs, have you been working on something exciting? We’d love to hear about it via a flash talk, poster or oral presentation at ASMR’s annual Victorian Scientific Meeting.

We’re keen to hear from presenters from all areas of health and medical research, including biomedical, bioengineering, clinical and public health.

📅 Abstracts close: 15 September 2024
✅ Apply here: https://asmr.org.au/asmr-mrw/victoria/
🏆 Awards for the most outstanding presentations

A big thank you to our sponsors for making this year’s event possible:
National Medical Research Week 2024 sponsor: CSL
Gold sponsor of Medical Research Week in Victoria: Children's Research Institute - MCRI
Silver sponsor of Medical Research Week in Victoria: Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences at UniMelb
Bronze sponsor of Medical Research Week in Victoria: Burnet Institute

🎉 Award applications open! 🏆 As part of the combined National Scientific Conference and South Australian Scientific Meeting, we’re pleased to offer a range of awards recognising the wonderful achievements of those within the medical research community.

Awards include:
✨ ASMR Peter Doherty Leading Light Award
✨ Ross Wishart Memorial Award
✨ Campion-Ma-Playoust Memorial Award
✨ Robinson Research Institute Award
✨ Undergraduate/Honours oral and poster presentation awards
✨ Research Assistant oral and poster presentation awards
✨ Postgraduate oral and poster presentation awards
✨ Early career researcher oral and poster presentation awards

You can nominate yourself for any of the above awards by following the steps here: https://bit.ly/3Mv8hcT

📅 Applications close: 1

A big thank you to our NSC sponsors for making this year’s event possible.
Medical Research Week sponsor: CSL
Platinum sponsor: The Hospital Research Foundation Group
Gold sponsor: The University of Adelaide
Silver sponsors: CMAX and Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation
Bronze sponsor: University of South Australia
Gala Dinner sponsor: Flinders University

🚀 Enhance your skills in bioinformatics by joining our upcoming webinar! 🌐
Are you ready to dive into the rapidly evolving world of bioinformatics? We are thrilled to announce our professional development webinar: Bioinformatics: Considerations and tools for biologists, where Dr Dale Watkins will guide you through the latest trends, tools, and techniques in this exciting field.
🗓 Date: Thursday 26 September 2024
🕒 Time: 3.00pm – 4.00pm AEST
📍 Cost: Free to all members of the medical research community
🎟 Register now: https://asmr.org.au/cpd-events-workshops/
This webinar is perfect for professionals looking to enhance their knowledge, researchers seeking to integrate bioinformatics into their work, and anyone interested in understanding how bioinformatics is shaping the future of life sciences.
What you’ll gain:
✅ Insight into bioinformatics tools and technologies
✅ Practical applications for research and development
✅ Access to exclusive resources and Q&A sessions
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to elevate your expertise! Register today.
We look forward to seeing you at the webinar and empowering you new bioinformatics knowledge.
This webinar is presented with thanks to Illumina, Inc. , the exclusive sponsor of ASMR’s 2024 professional development series.

🔔 Calling all trivia lovers! Join the Australian Society for Medical Research for a fun-filled trivia night at The Mark Hotel this Friday, 6 September! 🧠 Test your knowledge, win amazing prizes, and support the incredible work being done by Australia's medical researchers.
📅 When: Friday 6 September @ 6pm 📍 Where: The Mark Hotel, cnr Dickson and Morehead streets, Lambton
🎟️ Cost: $5 for ASMR members, $8 for non-members
🍔 Food and drinks available for purchase at the venue, plus exciting prizes!
No booking necessary, but spots are limited so make sure to get there early! Let’s celebrate innovation and discoveries in medical research together. 👩‍🔬👨‍🔬

Abstracts open!
EMCRs, have you been working on something exciting? We’d love to hear about it via a poster or oral presentation at the combined National Scientific Conference and South Australian Scientific Meeting.
In line with this year’s conference theme – Exploring Multidisciplinary Frontiers – we’re keen to hear from presenters from all areas of health and medical research, including biomedical, bioengineering, clinical and public health.
📅 Abstracts close: 13 September 2024
✅ Apply here: https://asmr.org.au/nsc-welcome/
🏆 Awards for the most outstanding presentations

A big thank you to our NSC sponsors for making this year’s event possible
Platinum sponsor:
Gold Sponsor:
Silver Sponsor:
Bronze Sponsor:
and Gala Dinner Sponsor:

🔔 Calling all trivia lovers! Join the Australian Society for Medical Research for a fun-filled trivia night at The Wheatsheaf Hotel this Thursday, 29 August! 🧠 Test your knowledge, win amazing prizes, and support the incredible work being done by Australia's medical researchers.
📅 When: 29 August 📍 Where: The Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton
🎟️ Cost: $5 per person, teams of 5
🍔 Food trucks and bar on-site, plus exciting raffle prizes!
Spots are limited, so make sure to secure your tickets! Let’s celebrate innovation and discoveries in medical research together. 👩‍🔬👨‍🔬
Get your tickets: asmr.org.au/asmr-mrw/south-australia/

🌟 We are thrilled to announce the launch of ASMR's Strategic Plan 2024-28! This transformative initiative will see us grow our engagement, advocacy and development opportunities for EMCRs in Australia’s health and medical research sector.

Our strategic priorities for the next five years are:
• Provide a platform for our members to develop across all aspects of career life
• Advocate on behalf of members for a flourishing health and medical research sector
• Engage with the community for sustainable health and medical research outcomes
• Foster a member-centric, pro-active and effective organisation
You can read more about our strategic priorities for 2024-28 on the ASMR website https://asmr.org.au/about-the-asmr/strategic-plan-2024/.

Keep an eye out for our new brand identity and more frequent updates as we implement this exciting plan. Thank you for being part of ASMR's evolution!

Attention all NSW health + medical researchers, students and EMCRs!
Registration and abstracts are open for the NSW Annual Scientific Meeting.
Apply now to be in the running for awards and prizes.
📆 27th June 2024
🏢 Teachers Federation Conferebce Centre

Be quick! Abstract submission closes 5pm Friday 10th May.
Register here: asmr.org.au/asmr-mrw/nsw

Last chance to register for today’s webinar with Dr Belinda Di Bartolo!

Register by 2pm today!

Congratulations to Profs. Richard Scolyer AO and Georgina Long AO, named joint Australians of the Year.
As Melanoma Institute Australia co-directors, their immunotherapy advancements for melanoma have been groundbreaking. Now, tackling glioblastoma together, they're pushing the boundaries of brain cancer treatment. Kudos to the team, and best wishes to Prof. Scolyer as he continues his promising journey.

'We do not let fear hold us back': Melanoma researchers named joint 2024 Australians of the Year Melanoma research pioneers Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer are jointly named 2024 Australians of the Year for their work developing an immunotherapy approach to treating melanoma.

Some memories from the ASMR National Scientific Convention poster halls today!

It’s Day 1 of Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) National Scientific Convention!

Head to the registration desk to be greeted by the wonderful Dr Emma Solly, and explore the fantastic research posters on display in the foyer area at The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health!

Dr Chantal Attard of the MCRI is officially stepping into her new role as President today!

She is looking forward to driving the organisation from strength to strength and forging new connections and collaborations.

At our stakeholder meeting, we heard from outgoing ASMR President, Dr Emily Colvin; NSC Director, Khalia Primer; Professional Development Director, Dr Connor McCafferty, and incoming President elect Dr Chantal Attard!

The Respect in Research Report, launched today by our colleagues at the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI) in partnership with WiSSP, marks a crucial step in combating sexual harassment within the medical research sector. This important document, developed through extensive expert consultations, outlines eight key priorities focused on creating a trustful, accountable, and people-centric culture. It's a proactive tool for institute leaders to enforce real change, aligning with AAMRI's commitment to gender, equality, diversity, and inclusion. This initiative is pivotal for fostering safer, more respectful workplaces in medical research – a move that's long overdue and highly welcome.

Read the announcement and report:

New Respect in Research Report aims to bring sector wide change to address sexual harassment - AAMRI Today the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI), in collaboration with the Women in Science Parkville Precinct (WiSSP), have launched the Respect in Research Report, aimed at supporting medical research institutes in their prevention and response to sexual harassment. The Res...

The holy grail of research - when research is translated to better outcomes and policy change🤹‍♂️

Professor Eric Chow is a clinical epidemiologist and biostatistician at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) at The Alfred Hospital.

His research program aims to improve the treatment, prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections (STI), with a particular focus on gonorrhoea and human papillomavirus (HPV). His work has influenced global policies on the recommendation of the HPV program and has changed international STI treatment and screening guidelines.

We can't wait for him at our upcoming NSC, starting tomorrow in Melbourne!

A stroke of genius? 💡

Associate Professor Connie Wong leads the Neuroinflammation Research Group at Monash University, and is Deputy Director of the Monash Centre for Inflammatory Diseases.

Her research program investigates the pathophysiology of stroke and the subsequent host inflammatory response. In her plenary presentation, A/Prof Wong will speak about the gut-brain axis in stroke, and how it can be better understood to improve outcomes for stroke patients.

We're thrilled to have A/Prof Wong as a plenary speaker at our upcoming NSC at the Florey, Melbourne, starting tomorrow!

✋ Who here can't wait to hear the plenary speakers at our upcoming NSC, starting tomorrow in Melbourne!?

Prepare to be inspired by Dr Sarah Stephenson, a molecular neurobiologist, and Dr Katherine Howell, a paediatric neurologist, who lead research programs which delve into the mechanisms and treatment of paediatric epilepsy at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne.

In their plenary presentation, they will share insights into how their combined leadership and experience across both foundational and clinical medical research allows them to translate their findings into meaningful outcomes for epilepsy patients.

Only 48 hours left to register for this year's National Scientific Conference!

Don't miss the opportunity to join in on our Professional Development Workshop on Enhancing Research Quality with Professor Julie McMullen and Daniel Hamilton.

Dive into the replication crisis and the emerging field of metascience, and learn practical skills for improving the quality and reproducibility of your own research with our expert panellists.

Professor Julie McMullen leads the Cardiac Hypertrophy Laboratory and Discovery & Preclinical Dept at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. She has extensive experience in the generation and characterisation of exercise-trained mouse models, and genetic and surgical mouse models of cardiac hypertrophy and failure.

Daniel Hamilton is a Research Fellow in the Methods in Evidence Synthesis Unit at the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University. He is also a Research Project Supervisor within the University of Melbourne’s Master of Cancer Sciences course.

Julie and Daniel will walk us through how the replication crisis developed, how it has impacted medical research, and what we can all do to help address it.

Registrations close Sunday, midnight! ⏲️ Register now to participate in this workshop: https://asmr.org.au/regabs/

There's only one week until the 2023 National Scientific Conference where Professor Emily Banks AM will deliver the prestigious AWT Edwards Memorial Oration.

This oration honours Tony Edwards, a past ASMR director who sadly passed away during his Presidency. Tony was regarded as a tireless worker and advocate for medical research. A distinguished number of individuals have presented this Oration over the years.

Professor Emily Banks AM is a public health physician and epidemiologist. She works mainly on using large-scale evidence to identify actions to improve health and health care, at an individual and population level. Her main areas of work are in chronic disease, to***co control, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and healthy ageing.

Professor Banks is Head of the Centre of Epidemiology for Policy and Practice at the Australian National University, an NHMRC Investigator Fellow, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, a Visiting Professor at the University of Oxford and a Member of the Order of Australia.

Don't miss this opportunity to hear Professor Banks speak at the 2023 NSC. Registrations are open until midnight Sunday 29th October: https://asmr.org.au/nsc-welcome/

Only 9 days left until the 2023 National Scientific Conference where attendees will have the pleasure of hearing this year's Firkin Orator, Professor Ian Reid.

Ian Reid is an endocrinologist and Distinguished Professor at the University of Auckland. His research interests span calcium metabolism, vitamin D, osteoporosis and Paget’s disease. He has worked extensively in the development of the bisphosphonates for use in osteoporosis and Paget’s disease, and also on the safety and efficacy of calcium supplements, vitamin D deficiency and supplementation. Impressively, Prof. Reid has been involved in the development of most new osteoporosis treatments in the last 30 years.

Prof. Reid has won many prestigious awards for his research throughout his career including the New Zealand Prime Minister’s Science Prize. We are so excited to hear about his research insights and career thus far at the 2023 NSC.

The Firkin Oration honours one of the ASMR's founders and it's first President, Barry G Firkin, whose vision, courage and tenacity in the early years set the groundwork for the modern Australian Society for Medical Research.

Don't miss your chance to hear from one of New Zealand's eminent scientists. Registrations close this Sunday 29th at midnight! All career stages and fields are welcome: https://asmr.org.au/nsc-welcome/

Only a week and a half to go until the 2023 ASMR National Scientific Conference!

Don't miss this chance to join us for our Professional Development Workshop on Consumer Engagement. This inspiring conversation will provide attendees with practical insights into how to do it well.

Dr Catherine Carmichael is a Victorian Cancer Agency Mid-Career Research Fellow and leads the Leukaemia Modelling and Therapeutic discovery research group at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne. She will present in partnership with Anna, who is a passionate consumer advocate in the field of myeloproliferative neoplasms and other blood cancers, and who has worked with numerous organisations and grant review panels.

Catherine and Anna will use their unique stories and experiences with consumer engagement to teach us practical lessons that we can apply to our research or studies.

Register now to participate in this workshop: https://asmr.org.au/regabs/

Registrations close this Sunday 29th!

We are so excited to hear A/P Connie Wong's plenary presentation at this year's National Scientific Conference in November!

Associate Professor Connie Wong leads the Neuroinflammation Research Group at Monash University , and is Deputy Director of the Monash Centre for Inflammatory Diseases.

Her research program investigates the pathophysiology of stroke and the subsequent host inflammatory response. In her plenary presentation, A/Professor Wong will speak about the gut-brain axis in stroke, and how it can be better understood to improve outcomes for stroke patients.

Registration closes Sunday October 29th. Register now to hear her presentation: https://asmr.org.au/regabs/

ASMR President Emily Colvin, President elect, Chantal Attard, and past President Tony Kenna met with the National Health and Medical Research Council - NHMRC CEO (and also past ASMR president!) Prof Steve Wesselingh today to discuss the state of health & medical research funding in Australia.

They are looking forward dinner tonight, hosted by our friends Australian Medical Research Institutes, at Parliament House!

Professor Eric Chow is a clinical epidemiologist and biostatistician at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) at The Alfred Hospital . Register for the ASMR National Scientific Conference now for your chance to hear Prof. Chow!

His research program aims to improve the treatment, prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections (STI), with a particular focus on gonorrhoea and human papillomavirus (HPV). His work has influenced global policies on the recommendation of the HPV program and has changed international STI treatment and screening guidelines.

In his plenary presentation, Professor Chow will share the impacts of his research program.

Don't miss out - registration closes Sunday October 29th: https://asmr.org.au/regabs/

Don't miss your chance to hear Dr Sarah Stephenson and Dr Katherine Howell at this year's National Scientific Conference in November!

Dr Sarah Stephenson, a molecular neurobiologist, and Dr Katherine Howell, a paediatric neurologist, lead research programs which delve into the mechanisms and treatment of paediatric epilepsy at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and the The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne.

At the NSC they will share insights into how their combined leadership and experience across both foundational and clinical medical research allows them to translate their findings into meaningful outcomes for epilepsy patients.

Register now to hear their presentation: https://asmr.org.au/regabs/

Registration closes Sunday October 29th

At this year's NSC we are very excited to welcome A/P Arnold Ju as a plenary speaker!

A/P Ju leads the leads the Mechanobiology and Biomechanics Laboratory at , which has pioneered multiple biomechanical nanotools with applications in imaging and precision diagnosis.

A/P Ju will discuss his team’s novel Vein-Chip platform, which allows for characterisation of thrombosis mechanisms and promises future applications in personalised thrombosis assessment and monitoring.

Register now to hear his presentation: https://asmr.org.au/regabs/

Don't miss out - registration closes Sunday October 29th!

The Australian Society for Medical Research supports the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution and the establishment of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.

For over 60 years, the Australian Society for Medical Research has advocated for the health and medical research sector with a vision of a healthy and equitable Australia. There is no doubt that there remains a significant gap in health outcomes between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians. We believe that establishing a Voice to Parliament is an integral step in closing this gap.

Don't forget to register for our free ASMR Professional Development webinar next week where we will welcome Dr Masha Somi, CEO of the Health and Medical Research Office, to discuss how the new MRFF research plans will impact Early and Mid Career Researchers.

When ⏱: Wednesday October 4th
4 pm AEDT | 3 pm AEST
Where 💻: Zoom

As always, registration is free for ASMR members.