Health Translation Queensland in collaboration with Conference Convenor Dr Gordon McGurk and the conference organising team are delighted to invite you to join the 6th Australian & New Zealand Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) Conference, which has extended its reach to New Zealand this year.
This well established free online conference will run across 3 full days from 25 - 27 November 2025 and will bring together professionals from around Australia, New Zealand and beyond to advance the field of human research ethics. The conference is dedicated to fostering dialogue, sharing knowledge and promoting best practices in the ethical conduct of human research.
Whether you are a committee member, HREC/HDEC Chair, professional staff or researcher, this conference offers a unique opportunity to engage with leading voices and explore critical issues that shape research ethics.
Over the course of the 3-day conference, you will have the chance to participate in a variety of online sessions, including keynote addresses, workshops and online discussion panels, aimed at enhancing your practical and ethical application of your skills and knowledge.
Delivered through live Zoom webinars and post-conference recordings, the conference is designed to maximise attendee engagement and ensure broad access to all content.
The conference will be held in the AEST-Queensland (Brisbane) time zone (GMT+10). Given the varying territories, states and New Zealand time zones we will try to accommodate these factors into our planning.
+++ NEW THIS YEAR: 2x FREE PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS ON MONDAY 24 NOVEMBER - For details and registration links, please see program below. +++
“Agentic AI - Its impact on health & ethics" - Tuesday 25 November, 10:30am-11:15am (AEST-QLD)
“The ethics of intentional infection research" - Wednesday 26 November, 8:30am-9:15am (AEST-QLD)
“Rob Loblay Oration" - Thursday 27 November, 3:15pm-3:45pm (AEST-QLD)
| 11:00 - 13:00
AEST-QLD |
National Ethics and Governance Coordinators Community of Practice
|
| 14:00 - 16:00 AEST-QLD | Paediatric Research
|
| Conference openingWelcome Acknowledgement of Country Opening remarks |
| 10:30 - 11:15 AEST-QLD | PlenaryAgentic AI – Its impact on health & ethics Aaron Zamykal, Actualisation |
| 11:15 - 12:30 AEST-QLD | Technology & AIWould we want generative artificial intelligence in institutional review boards? Joel Seah, NUS Singapore AI = All In? How can HRECs address the ‘new research normal’? Professor Michael Martin, Australian National University, Australian Health Ethics Committee Human-in-the-loop: balancing innovation and accountability in law enforcement use of AI Andrew Chen, New Zealand Police Thoughts from the chair and discussion Associate Prof Tam Nguyen, Monash Health |
| 12:40 - 13:55 AEST-QLD | Consent & consent formsSocial media and ethics review: identifying potential scandals & protecting participants Professor Paula Swatman, Bellberry Can 16- and 17-year-olds give consent to participate in research without parental consent? Professor Richard Gray, La Trobe University The InFormed Project Dr Lisa Eckstein & James Cockayne, CT:IQ & NSW Ministry of Health Learning from the InFormed Project: building quality assurance into HREC practice Senior Professor Annette Braunack-Mayer, University of Wollongong |
| 14:05 - 15:30 AEST-QLD | Data managementUsing personal information in research: some recent legal cases Creepy or just complex? Making ethical decisions in a messy world New horizons: a draft governance framework for synthetic health data in Australia
Embedding Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles across organisational research practice: practical strategies for ethical governance and community benefit
But who owns the data? A case study from the evolving digital health landscape
|
| 15:40 - 16:55 AEST-QLD | Operationalisation & quality assuranceBrief overview of changes to National Statement Jeremy Kenner, NHMRC Ethics of advisingAssociate Professor Monique Jonas, University of Auckland Revisiting the 2024 Declaration of Helsinki: critiques and implications for human research ethics review Dr Ehsan Shamsi Gooshki, Monash Bioethics Centre Crossing the line: the contested space between quality and research Rachel Kerr, Monash University |
| 08:30 - 09:15 AEST-QLD | Plenary
The ethics of intentional infection research |
| 09:15 - 09:55 AEST-QLD | Clinical trials and changing times - part 1
Trial design – adaptive platform trials Structuring your HREC for CT review / panel session (recorded) |
| 10:00 - 11:30 AEST-QLD | Privacy
Privacy essentials |
| 11:45 - 12:45 AEST-QLD | Abstract session: Quality assurance [parallel session 1]
Healthcare quality, mystery shopping and research ethics Dr Sharon Schembri, James Cook University Applying a translational ethics model to facilitate rigorous, high-quality, postgraduate health services research Dr Robyn Taylor, South Western Sydney Local Health District The Victorian Ethics Network: building collaboration and capacity in human research ethics Dr Peter Burke, RMIT University What needs to change to ensure LGBTQ+ people are included in cancer clinical trials? Celine Daignault, The University of Sydney |
| 11:45 - 12:45 AEST-QLD | Abstract session: Quality assurance [parallel session 2]
Sharing clinical research results with Australian participants Gudrun Wells, CT:IQ Implementation of AI assistant for training of IRB analysts: a novel educational approach Chong Xue Jun Jaylynn, NHG Health, Singapore Redesigning Queensland Health’s approach to translational innovation – shining a light on improvement, innovation, evaluation and audit activities Beth Wray, Clinical Excellence Queensland Lived experience people in research design and conductLisa Treverrow, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Research adequacy, AI, and the creation of mHealth Apps Dr Dana Wensley, University of Auckland |
| 13:00 - 14:30 AEST-QLD | Psychedelic drugs in research
ACT HREC PAT Authorised Prescriber Update and IssuesProfessor Nick Glasgow, Australian National UniversityA new era for psychedelic-assisted therapy trials: safety, ethics, and progress Professor Susan Rossell & Associate Professor Vanessa Beesley, QIMR Berghofer |
| 14:40 - 15:35 AEST-QLD | Clinical trials and changing times - part 2
Charter for healthy volunteer trials Francois Bompart, VOLRETHICS Association, France Research ethics and governance of adaptive trials Sophie Gatenby, RCH Melbourne Facilitators and barriers to the clinical trial recruitment of older people: a qualitative study Sue Markham, University of Sydney |
| 15:40 - 16:40 AEST-QLD | HREC member panel discussion
Role and challenges for HREC members |
The meeting time are in AEST-QLD
Ensure your pop ups aren't blocked!
Recordings of previous conferences can be found here.
Once you have registered, you will receive an email 1 week, 2 days and 30 minutes before the conference starts. A zoom link to each day of the conference will be provided.
The conference can be watched on any device, all you need is the internet.
If you missed a session, presentations will be made as a resource after the meeting for those presenters who have agreed.
You can find previous conference resources on our HREC Conference webpage.
+61 7 3346 4637
events@healthtranslationqld.org.au
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