Events for FASD Researchers

• Date: Saturday 13 – Tuesday 16 September 2026
• Location: Amiens, France

The EUFASD8 conference is the 8th European Conference on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). This event is organised by the European FASD Alliance in collaboration with the French association Vivre Avec Le SAF.

The conference aims to bring together researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and individuals living with FASD to share knowledge, discuss challenges, and explore solutions related to FASD. It will feature a range of sessions, including scientific presentations, workshops, and discussions on clinical practices, prevention strategies, and support systems for those impacted by FASD.

• Date: 18 – 19 September 2026
• Location: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney.

This two-day educational event brings together clinicians, researchers, allied health professionals, and multidisciplinary teams working in the field of perinatal substance use and maternal-child health.

This symposium will provide contemporary updates on the evolving landscape of substance use in pregnancy and the postpartum period, with a focus on evidence-based clinical care, developmental outcomes, and integrated models of support for women and families.

The program will feature expert presentations, multidisciplinary perspectives, and practical discussions addressing current challenges and innovations in care across the perinatal continuum.

• Date: 22 September 2026
• Location: Kennedy Lecture Theatre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
  30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom

2026 marks the UCL bicentenary and the 40th birthday of the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU).

Join UCL’s Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU) for a celebration of their collaboration and the impact it has had on outcomes for children and families affected by rare diseases in the UK and beyond.

• Date: Tuesday 6 – Wednesday 7 October 2026
• Location: Orange Ex-Services’ Club, Orange NSW

The Western NSW Health Research Network is proud to announce the WHRN 2026 Research Symposium theme, “Innovating for Health Equity: Bridging Gaps in Rural Healthcare”.

The annual Symposium offers outstanding networking opportunities as it brings together academics, researchers, policymakers, and rural healthcare professionals to collaborate and exchange knowledge on the challenges and solutions pertaining to rural health research.

The theme for the 2026 Symposium shines a light on the need for networking and interdisciplinary collaboration to address the unique health disparities faced by rural communities. These disparities stem from geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors, and necessitate innovative research strategies.

The workshops on Day 1 include opportunities to engage with researchers and networks and build on your research skills.

The Western NSW Health Researcher of the Year winners will be presented at the awards event after the workshops on Day 1.

The Day 2 programme will include a mix of general, emerging, student and open research presentations. This event should not be missed by anyone keen to exchange ideas and collaborate with the diverse stakeholders interested in improving research and health outcomes in Western and Far Western NSW.

• Date: Friday 30 October 2026 
• Location: Sibyl Centre, The Women’s College, The University of Sydney, Camperdown NSW

Celebrate the launch of the FASD Research Australia NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, marking an important milestone in advancing FASD research, translation and collaboration across Australia.

The Honourable Dr Mike Freelander MP will officially launch this special event, which will feature panel discussions and keynote presentations from leading experts, a showcase of innovative FASD research and opportunities to connect with researchers, clinicians, policymakers and community partners committed to improving outcomes for individuals and families affected by FASD.

Attendees will gain insights into FASD Research Australia’s vision, priorities and future directions, while contributing to important conversations about prevention, diagnosis, intervention and support. This is an opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions and build connections across the FASD sector.

Whether you work in research, healthcare, education, policy, advocacy or community services, we invite you to be part of this important occasion and help shape the future of FASD research in Australia.

• Date: 4-5 November 2026
• Location: UNSW, Sydney

This year’s Luminesce Alliance conference theme, ” Partnerships in Action: Advancing Children’s Health through Research, Families and Industry Collaboration,” highlights the critical role of collaboration between academia, research institutions, healthcare, industry stakeholders, together with patient advocacy groups and communities, to address complex health challenges and scaling innovative solutions that improve care.

Together we look forward to exploring the latest advancements in personalised medicine and research collaborations aimed at supporting children and families affected by rare diseases, neurodevelopmental disorders, and cancer.

• Date: 8 – 11 November 2026
• Location: Esplanade Hotel Fremantle by Rydges, Walyalup, on the lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people, WA, Australia

This year’s conference theme, Storytelling Shapes Us: Community, Clinical Practice, Research, and Healing, foregrounds the critical role of interdisciplinary knowledge exchange in advancing alcohol and other drug (AOD) research, policy, and practice. The program emphasises methodological rigour, scientific integrity, and the translation of evidence into effective clinical and community outcomes.

Within this framework, storytelling is positioned not as an alternative to science, but as a complementary mode of knowledge that can enhance the interpretation, communication, and application of evidence. This includes First Nations ways of knowing, being, and doing, which offer important contributions to culturally informed and contextually responsive research and practice.

APSAD invites researchers, clinicians, policy-makers, and community practitioners to contribute to a program that prioritises high quality empirical research, critical scholarship, and innovative policy and practice responses. Alongside this, the conference will create space for lived and living experience to inform and strengthen evidence informed approaches.

The conference remains firmly grounded in scientific excellence while fostering inclusive, respectful dialogue across diverse knowledge systems. In doing so, APSAD continues its commitment to advancing rigorous research and supporting its application in ways that are ethical, culturally responsive and impactful.

• Date: 23 – 24 November 2026
• Location: Colombo Building (B16), High Street Gate4 (Entrance on Fig Tree Lane), UNSW Sydney, Kensington NSW 2052

The conference will focus on cross cutting approaches to understanding and addressing stigma, promote conversations and debate regarding systemic and structural issues that contribute to experiences of stigma in health care settings, and discuss novel strategies to overcome stigma as a barrier to health care.

This conference is guided by an organising committee based at the Centre for Social Research in Health. In keeping with our commitment to centring communities affected by stigma and discrimination, we are also guided by an advisory committee comprised of people with lived and living experience of stigma and discrimination related to a wide range of identities, conditions, and practices.

• Date: 30 November – 2 December 2026
• Location: Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, Boorloo (Perth)

The IAHA National Conference recognises the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the diversity of our membership, as well as interdisciplinary actions within the allied health sector.

IAHA recognises how sustained holistic, strengths-based approaches to health and wellbeing can achieve health equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

National Conference delegates will experience:

• Professional development that challenges them both personally and professionally
• Networking opportunities with likeminded people within a culturally diverse and safe space
• Opportunities for growth, learning and healing
• A Gala celebration of excellence in the Indigenous allied health sector
• Enriching cultural experiences

• Date: 8 – 10 December 2026
• Location: Hilton Hotel, Gold Coast

The 2026 National Indigenous Closing the Gap Health Conference will focus on three interconnected themes:

• Our Leadership, Our Health – Celebrating self-determination, collective leadership, and community-driven solutions to close the health gap.
• Truth, Culture, Healing – Acknowledging the past, embracing cultural integrity, and fostering holistic wellbeing through identity, Country, and connection.
• Innovate Together, Transform Generations – Uniting knowledge, partnerships, and innovation to create sustainable, culturally safe, and equitable health outcomes for current and future generations.

The conference is based on the belief that prevention is better than cure which is grounded in culture, leadership, and holistic wellbeing. It brings together Elders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, community leaders, researchers, AMS staff, PHN program officers, and policymakers to create a space where the body is nurtured through health innovation, the mind through knowledge sharing, and the spirit through culture, connection to Country, and community wisdom. The conference celebrates Indigenous leadership, truth-telling, and lived experience, while addressing ongoing disparities in life expectancy, chronic disease, mental health, and access to quality care.

Through collaboration, storytelling, and evidence-based approaches, participants will share knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and co-design culturally safe, sustainable solutions that empower communities, foster resilience, and advance health equity. It highlights the importance of self-determination, culture, and community-led initiatives in achieving lasting health improvements. More than a conference, this is a movement for action, healing, and transformative change, shaping a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples thrive in mind, body, and spirit.

• Date: Friday 14 May 2027
• Location: Online

Presented by National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (NOFASD), more details about this special event to be released.

In the meantime, save the date for this event.