Event Program 2025

9.00 AMARCS Plenary Dr Silviu Itescu
CEO and Managing Director,
Mesoblast Ltd
9.30 AM Welcome Professor Michael Kassiou
Academic Director,
Centre for Drug Discovery Innovation
9.35 AMIntroductionAnne O’Neill
Director, Commercialisation and Strategic Partnerships
Office for Health and Medical Research
9.45 AM Session 01.
Neurological and CNS Disorders
Presenters
Professor Julie Atkin (Macquarie University)
Dr Alexandra Daryl Ariawan (Macquarie University)
10.45 AMMorning Tea
11.15 AMSponsor presentationDr Heather Donaghy
Director of Strategic Development, Cell & Gene
Therapeutic Innovation Australia
11.25 AMSession 02.
Infectious Diseases
Presenters
Nathan Bryant (The University of Newcastle)
Dr Matthew Doyle (The University of Sydney
12.25 PMLunch
1.30 PMDDF 2025 PlenaryDr Nicholas Hunt
CEO, Endo Axiom
1.50 PMSession 03.
Oncology
Presenters
A/Prof David Croucher (Garvan Institute)
Dr Pegah Varamini (The University of Sydney)
3.00 PMSession 04.
Cardiometabolic
Presenters
Dr Daniel Beard (The University of Newcastle)
Dr Kirsten Coupland (The University of Newcastle)
4.00 PMAfternoon Tea
4.30 PMSession 05.
Other
Presenters
Dr Bijay Dhungel (Centenary Institute)
Dr Lisanne Spenkelink (University of Wollongong)
5.30 PMClosing remarksProfessor Michael Kassiou
5.35 Networking reception and best pitch award presentation