PROGRAM

SOMANZ ASM 2026

Program at a Glance

16–18 October 2026 | voco Brisbane

Day 1

Friday 16 October 2026

  1. 8:00am

    Registration opens

  2. 8:45am – 9:00am

    Welcome to Country & Conference Opening

  3. 9:00am – 9:30am

    Keynote Address

    • Dr Lucy MacKillopOxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust & University of Oxford
  4. 9:30am – 10:00am

    Epilepsy in Pregnancy

    • Dr Lata VadlamudiThe University of Queensland
  5. 10:00am – 10:30am

    International Grant Recipient

  6. 10:30am – 11:00am

    Morning Tea

  7. 11:00am – 12:30pm

    Seeing the Whole Patient: Neurodiversity, Trauma, and Domestic Violence in Pregnancy

    • Dr Althi KothariThe University of Queensland
    • Jelena SenicJelena Senic Consultancy
    • Liz EgginsThe University of Queensland
  8. 12:30pm – 1:30pm

    Lunch & SOMANZ AGM

  9. 1:30pm – 3:00pm

    Abstracts / Free Communications

  10. 3:00pm – 3:30pm

    Afternoon Tea

  11. 3:30pm – 5:00pm

    Brain, Gut and Nutrition

    • Dr Anastasia BraunPine Rivers Private Hospital
    • Dr Sarah Buckley AMCThe University of Queensland
    • Dr Georgia KaferUniversity of the Sunshine Coast
  12. 5:00pm – 5:15pm

    Tribute to A/Prof Marloes Nitert Dekker

  13. 5:15pm – 7:00pm

    Welcome Reception

Day 2

Saturday 17 October 2026

  1. 8:45am – 10:30am

    Infectious Diseases

    • Dr Jill Parkes-SmithMater Hospital
    • Dr Renuka SekarRoyal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital
    • Dr Sumi BrittonRoyal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital
  2. 10:30am – 11:00am

    Morning Tea

  3. 11:00am – 12:30pm

    Psychiatry

    • Ariane BeestonLived experience postpartum psychosis; author of “Because I’m Not Myself, You See”
    • Dr Kannan KallapiranMater Hospital
    • Prof Ed HeffernanQueensland Forensic Mental Health Service (QFMHS) & The University of Queensland
  4. 12:30pm – 1:30pm

    Lunch: SOMANZ AGM

  5. 1:30pm – 3:00pm

    Neurology

    • Dr Caroline AireyBrisbane Neurology
    • Dr Ali BucklandSir Charles Gairdner Hospital
    • Noor AladhamiRoyal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
  6. 3:00pm – 3:30pm

    Afternoon Tea

  7. 3:30pm – 4:00pm

    Shark Tank

  8. 4:00pm – 5:00pm

    Haematology in Obstetrics and Women’s Health (HOW)

    • Cerebral Aneurysms and Arteriovenous MalformationsSpeaker TBC
    • Panel DiscussionStrokes with patent foramen ovale in pregnancy: Dr Clare Muller, Dr Sam Hayman and Dr Gerard Connors
  9. 7:00pm – 11:00pm

    Gala Dinner

    • Izakaya PublicoLocated inside Hotel Indigo Brisbane
Day 3

Sunday 18 October 2026

  1. 8:45am – 9:30am

    Priscilla Kincaid-Smith Lecture

    • Dr Lucy MacKillopOxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust & University of Oxford
  2. 9:30am – 10:00am

    Australia New Zealand Pre-eclampsia Research Network

    • Dr Lucy BarthoThe University of Melbourne
  3. 10:00am – 10:30am

    Award Presentations

  4. 10:30am – 11:00am

    Morning Tea

  5. 11:00am – 12:30pm

    Larger Bodied Women

    • Prof Leonie CallawayThe University of Queensland
    • Dr Fiona BrittenRoyal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
    • A/Prof Rachael NugentUniversity of the Sunshine Coast
  6. 12:30pm – 1:30pm

    Lunch and Departure

Program details are subject to change.

The SOMANZ 2026 Conference program is currently in the final development stages. Please note that it may stil be subject to minor changes.

Full interactive program to be announced soon.