Research Summit 2026

Metro North Hospital and Health Service is proud to have hosted the third annual Metro North Health Research Summit on Thursday 30 July at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

We welcomed over 180 guests from across Metro North, Queensland Health, and our academic, philanthropic and commercial partners, to hear from local, national and international experts.

2026 Speakers

Adam Spencer is the iconic star of radio and television and now a leading conference MC and keynote speaker on artificial intelligence (AI), cyber security, the future of work, and the Chat GPT revolution.

Mental Health

Hear from experts in child, youth and adolescent mental health, across psychology, neuroscience, psychiatry and parenting and family disciplines, how social media and technology influence mental health and the development of young people across their lifecourse. This session will open with a keynote presentation from Professor Jennie Hudson, followed by a panel discussion chaired by A/Professor Kylie Burke, Director Research Strategy and Evaluation for Metro North Mental Health.

Keynote: Professor Jennie Hudson

As a fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences (2018) and an NHMRC Investigator Fellow (Level 2, 2022-2027), Professor Hudson has made distinguished contributions to the scientific understanding and clinical treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents.

Professor Hudson has made distinguished contributions to the scientific understanding and clinical treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents.

Professor Selena Bartlett is an internationally recognised neuroscientist, educator, and thought leader in brain health, neuroplasticity, and human resilience.

Professor James Scott, is the Conjoint Professor of Child and Youth Psychiatry at The University of Queensland and Children’s Health Queensland.

Prof Alina Morawska is passionate about creating a world where children develop the skills, competencies and confidence to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world.

Heart and Lung session

The Heart and Lung session will be chaired by Professor Jonathon Fanning, Clinical Director Heart and Lung Research Institute. With invited presentations from Professor Vanessa McDonald and Professor Clara Chow, followed by a panel discussion, this session will delve into opportunities for improving heart and lung care through research.

Professor Vanessa McDonald B.Nurs, RN, PhD, FThorSoc is President Elect of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ).

Professor Clara Chow AM is an internationally recognised cardiologist and Academic Director of the Westmead Applied Research Centre (WARC) at the University of Sydney.

Metro North Researchers

A/Prof Gianluigi Li Bassi, MD, PhD, FCICM. A/Prof Li Bassi is currently a Senior Intensivist at The Prince Charles Intensive Care Unit and Associate Professor at the Institute of Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland.

Adjunct Associate Professor Alexis Tabah is a clinician-researcher in intensive care medicine and leads ICU research at Redcliffe Hospital.

Dr Emmah Doig is an experienced occupational therapist and clinician-researcher.

Dr Lucy Guazzo is a Vascular Surgeon with Metro North Health in Brisbane, where her practice spans the full breadth of open and endovascular surgery.

Dr Tony Lian is an Otolaryngology Senior House Officer at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and undertaking a PhD at the University of Sydney alongside his clinical work.

Assoc Prof Alison Craswell holds a Cisco Research Chair in Digital Health and Ageing at University of the Sunshine Coast.

Proudly sponsored by

Metro North would like to thank our event sponsors, the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Foundation, the Prince Charles Hospital Foundation, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), the University of Queensland (UQ) and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMRB). Without their generous sponsorship, events like this would not be possible.