Science on the Swan

More than 380 registrants attended 12 sessions and two satellite events across three days. The conference highlighted emerging research strategies and partnerships shaping Western Australia’s health and medical research sector.

The Hon Stephen Dawson MLC opened the conference and announced the WA Health Data Linkage Strategy 2022–2024, aimed at modernising and simplifying access to health data. The opening session also marked the release of the WA Mental Health Research Strategy. Angela Kelly, then Acting Director General of the WA Department of Health, outlined the WA Health and Medical Research Strategy 2023–2033, including regional and remote health, Aboriginal health, digital and precision health, prevention and consumer engagement. On day two, WA Mental Health Commissioner Lindsay Hale brought more than 60 sector representatives together to workshop implementation of the new mental health strategy.

Sessions explored Aboriginal and rural health, burden of disease, COVID-19 and long COVID, mental health, women’s health, consumer involvement, successful healthcare partnerships and statewide projects. Keynote speakers included Adjunct Professor Darryl O’Donnell, Professor Jonathan Carapetis, Professor Christos Pantelis, Associate Professor Jennifer Stone, Professor Timothy Carey and Associate Professor Glenn Pearson.

WAHTN’s CCIProgram helped organise, plan and host consumer involvement sessions, including the Partnering with Consumers for Success breakfast and the launch of the WA Consumer and Community Involvement Community of Practice. Chaired by WAHTN, the community connects people supporting consumers and researchers to involve lived experience in research, and was described in the original account as the first state-based community of its kind nationally. A research session combined Darryl O’Donnell’s keynote with four lived-experience research presentations and a panel discussion.

The Early Stage Biomedical and Health Innovation Showcase, hosted by Biodesign Australia and the City of Perth, featured eight early-stage innovation presentations and updates on WA’s innovation ecosystem. Minister Dawson also announced a partnership between The University of Western Australia and Bridgewest Group, the parent company of NovaCina and LumaCina.

The Department of Health’s Office of Medical Research and Innovation and UWA delivered a satellite grant-writing workshop for allied health, nursing and midwifery researchers applying to the FHRI Fund. It followed a workshop on 9 March 2023 and offered practical advice on developing a strong funding application. Speakers across the two workshops included Michael Banazis, Romola Bucks, Anne Hill, Amy Page, Evenda Dench, Pamela Laird, Peter McEvoy and Debra Langridge. Recordings of the March workshop remain linked below.

• WA Health and Medical Research Strategy 2023–2033
• Grant-writing workshop recordings and information
• CCIProgram

The seventh Science on the Swan conference brought together researchers and clinicians for three days of talks, shared learning and networking. More than 60 presentations, panels and posters examined WA’s innovation opportunities and challenges, patent and commercialisation frameworks, consumer involvement in innovation and ways to improve the healthcare environment.

Minister Stephen Dawson opened the conference and announced a collaboration between Texas Medical Center and Biodesign Australia, administered by UWA, to strengthen research, innovation and commercialisation. He also announced that WA would host Texas Medical Center at the October 2022 AusBiotech conference in Perth.

International speakers included Dr Eyal Zimlichman of Sheba Medical Centre, Dr Kate Hilyard of the UK Vaccine Taskforce and Professor Michael Wallach of SPARK Oceania. Keynote speaker Dr Craig Challen, 2019 Australian of the Year, described the innovation and teamwork behind the 2018 Thai cave rescue with Dr Richard Harris. Dr Ruben Meerman, the “surfing scientist”, also presented. The event connected WA universities, medical research institutes, public and private hospitals and the WA Department of Health.

• Watch the 2022 conference highlights
• 2022 photo gallery

Following the cancellation of the 2020 conference due to COVID-19, Science on the Swan returned with both in-person and virtual attendance. More than 60 presentations, panels, posters and networking opportunities covered a broad range of research and clinical expertise.

Sessions over the first two days were chaired by PathWest, the East, North and South Metropolitan Health Services, Child and Adolescent Health Service, WA Country Health Service and private hospitals. The third day focused on WA’s COVID-19 response, with presentations from the State’s Chief and Deputy Chief Health Officers, Chief Science Officer and Health Department Director General. Professor Jeremy Nicholson of the Australian National Phenome Centre delivered the keynote, The Secret Life of SARS-CoV-2. Selected recordings are available below.

• Conference program (2021)
• 2021 conference photographs

The fifth conference was the first co-chaired by Ear Science Institute Australia, the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science and the Lions Eye Institute.

The program covered hearing loss, Meniere’s disease, eye disease, wearable and implantable medical technologies, phenotyping and personalised medicine, stroke treatment and recovery, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, bipolar disorder and healthy ageing. BBC science presenter Dr Michael Mosley, introduced by Nobel Laureate Professor Barry Marshall, delivered the keynote How to Keep Your Brain Young: The Secrets to Successful Ageing.

• Conference program (2019)
• 2019 conference wrap-up
• 2019 feature in The West Australian

The conference explored the life course of chronic disease, brain development and mental health, and Aboriginal health and wellbeing. It considered how chronic conditions can begin early in life and how distance from major centres of care adds to the burden experienced by regional and remote communities.

Sessions examined the mechanisms behind chronic disease and mental health conditions, emerging models of care involving individuals and communities, and the effects of environment, physical activity and obesity. Aboriginal health sessions highlighted the benefits of co-designing health promotion and management programs with Aboriginal communities.

• Conference program (2018)

One Health brought multiple disciplines together to examine how population growth, climate change, lifestyle shifts and rapid transportation interact to affect emerging disease risks.

The program explored pandemic threats, bacterial and fungal infections, cultural beliefs and public health solutions, personalised infectious-disease treatment, stem cell therapies, regenerative medicine, biomedical technology, the omics revolution and large-scale data analysis.

• Conference program (2017)

Thirteen international speakers joined leading Australian researchers to share discoveries and advances in health and biotechnology. Speakers included Atul Butte, Zoltan Takats, Andrew Walshe, Anne Kelso and David Hansen, bringing expertise from computational health science, analytical chemistry, high performance, research leadership and digital health.

An accompanying symposium explored big data, precision medicine, imaging, bio-engineering, 3D printing, emerging technologies and omics.

• Conference program (2016)

The inaugural conference examined the human life course from pre-pregnancy to brain development, including ADHD, autism and early school performance. Topics also included the microbiome and the origins and prevention of metabolic disease, diabetes and obesity.

• Conference program (2015)