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 28 September 2026
Download the Instructions for Authors here.
Abstracts Closing
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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.
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 Workshops
Career Pathways in Research
Hear from researchers in academia, industry, clinical research, and start-ups on how they built their careers.
Panel chaired by Prof Lauren Ayton
Communicating Your Science
How to communicate your research with impact whether the audience is a grant panel, a conference room or the public.
Workshop hosted by Dr Shane Huntington
AI in Research
Short talks and a panel on using AI across the research workflow, from experiment design and data analysis to writing.
Session chaired by Dr Emerson Keenan
Grant Writing & Funding
What makes a funding application competitive, and a discussion on the current funding environment.
Workshop delivered by The GrantEd Group
Fireside chat with NHMRC Acting CEO Prue Torrance
Science for Social Media
Building your presence online and using social platforms to share your science.







