65th ASMR National Scientific Conference

Dates: 16 to 18 November 2026
Venue: Melbourne Connect at the University of Melbourne

Great prizes for ASMR members, including:

The ASMR Communication Excellence Awards – two $2,000 awards for the best oral presentations by (1) Honours to ≤ 3 years post PhD and (2) Early-Mid Career Researcher > 3 to ≤ 10 years post PhD;
The Campion-Ma-Playoust Memorial Award – $1,000 award for the overall best presentation (oral or poster) by an ASMR member who is a student OR an ECR under 30 years of age; and
The ASMR Peter Doherty Leading Light Award – $1,000 award for a single piece of work by an MCR (5-12 years post-PhD) undertaken within the past 5 years. Special application process applied.

See the Awards tab or Instructions for Authors for more information on the eligibility and other requirements for each of these awards.

ABSTRACTS EXTENDED: 11:59pm on 9 October 2026

Download the Instructions for Authors here.

Registrations Closing

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Awards

Registration

Three-day registration costs*:

ASMR Members: $225 students/$340 EMCR+
Non-Members: $310 students/$510 EMCR+

* single and two days registrations are also available.

Register and Submit Abstract

Invited Speakers

Distinguised Professor Madhu Baskaran

RMIT University

Dr Fernando Gordillo-Altamirano

Alfred Health, Monash University

Professor Yugeesh Lankadeva

The Florey

From lab to real-world impact: wearable sensing devices in healthcare and aged care

Distinguished Professor Madhu Bhaskaran is a multi-award winning electronics engineer and innovator. She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. She co-leads the Functional Materials and Microsystems Research Group at RMIT University which she established in 2010. She is the Director of the Discovery to Device Medtech Prototyping Facility at RMIT University. Her work on electronic skin and wearable sensors has been patented, and her group now works collaboratively with multiple industry and design partners to commercialise the technology for healthcare and aged care. She is a passionate advocate for equity and diversity and she proudly co-leads Women in STEMM Australia.

Personalised phage therapy in the fight against antimicrobial resistance

Fernando Gordillo Altamirano, originally from Ecuador, graduated as a medical doctor from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (2014). Taking a career pivot towards biomedical research, he moved to Australia where he completed a Masters in Infection and Immunity at The University of Sydney (2017) and a PhD in Microbiology at Monash University (2021). Integrating his clinical background, he now runs the wet lab component of The Alfred Hospital’s VICPhage program, Victoria’s first clinical service offering phage therapy, the use of viruses that kill bacteria, to patients with antibiotic-resistant infections. His research has been published in journals including Nature Medicine, Nature Microbiology, and Clinical Microbiology Reviews. Fernando is a passionate science communicator, with appearances on documentaries, radio, podcasts and television, including the recurring segment Health Check on ABC News Breakfast.

Impact of integrating academic, clinical, and industry partnerships to improve health outcomes for critically ill patients

Yugeesh Lankadeva is a Professor in the Florey Department of Neuroscience and
Mental Health (The Florey), Department of Critical Care at the University of Melbourne and Department of Anaesthesia at Austin Hospital. Professor Lankadeva is Head of Stroke and Critical Care Priority Research Area, and Head of Translational Cardiovascular and Renal Research at The Florey. Professor Lankadeva is a NHMRC Emerging Leader [Level 2] Fellow, has over 110 publications, is an inventor on 6 patents, and has secured over $30 million in competitive research funding, including $15 million as Chief Investigator A. His discoveries in sepsis and heart surgery have translated into 10 clinical trials across USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Professor Lankadeva is CEO of Medtech start-up company, PanAscea Pty Ltd, with the aim of advancing a breakthrough therapy for sepsis worldwide.

Professional Development Sessions

Consumer and Partner Engagement and Co-Design

Consumer and partner engagement is a critical component of most health and medical research projects (including NHMRC and MRFF-funded projects). This session will help researchers to better understand:

> the importance of consumer, community and partner involvement in their project planning, execution and translation

> the spectrum of consumer engagement processes and practices including co-design

> how to embed consumer and partnerships within their projects and grant applications

> what genuine co-investment by partner organisations looks like, including co-contribution of funds, and tangible and intangible in-kind contributions.

Workshop delivered by The GrantEd Group

Research Funding

Hear insights and perspectives from representatives of the research funding sector through a fireside chat with the NHMRC Acting CEO Prue Torrance about traditional grant funding and a representative from the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust on broader funding options.

Panel chaired by Dr Shane Huntington

AI in Research

Explore how AI is being used across the research workflow, from experiment design and data analysis to scientific writing. Hear perspectives on emerging tools, practical applications, opportunities and challenges, and how AI can be used responsibly to support research.

Panel chaired by Dr Emerson Keenan

Science for Social Media

Learn how to build your presence online, increase the visibility of your research, and expand your reach using social platforms to share your science.

Workshop hosted by Dr Veronique Paris

Career Pathways in Research

Explore career opportunities beyond academia and hear from researchers working across biotech, industry, clinical research, policy-making, teaching and start-ups, sharing how they built their careers.

Panel chaired by (TBC)