CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Explore the program by day. Select a program session to view its speakers and further details.

* Program subject to change. Correct as of 15 July 2026.

Program Session Joint Sessions / Social Break / Networking Workshop
Pre-Conference
Conference

Monday 31 August 2026

Pre-Conference
Pre-Conference Workshop (Optional)

Click here for information on the Pre-Conference Workshop.

Day 1: Tuesday 1 September 2026

9:00 AM
to
9:30 AM
Conference Opening View session details
Welcome to Country
Ministerial Address
Conference Welcome
9:30 AM
to
10:00 AM
Setting the Scene: What Has Changed Since AVVCC24? View session details
Introduction Jennifer Herz
Co-founder and Director, Biointelect
10:00 AM
to
10:30 AM
Keynote Opening View session details
Keynote Speaker Professor Zoe Wainer
Director-General, Australian Centre for Disease Control
10:30 AM
to
11:00 AM
Morning Tea and Networking
11:00 AM
to
12:45 PM
Keynote and Panel Discussion Funding Discovery Research and Product Development to Be Investment Ready View session details
Chair Professor Paul Young
Professor of Virology, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland
Keynote Speaker Dr Jean-François Toussaint
Global Head of Vaccine Research and Development, Sanofi
Panellists
Professor Robyn Langham AM
Chief Medical Adviser, Therapeutic Goods Administration
Professor Jamie Triccas
Professor of Medical Microbiology, University of Sydney
Closing the gap between research and manufacturing: building an mRNA vaccine pipeline in Australia
Professor Trent Munro
Senior Group Leader, Munro Group, University of Queensland
12:45 PM
to
2:00 PM
Lunch and Networking
2:00 PM
to
3:30 PM
Keynote and Panel Discussion Aligning Needs for Regional Health Security and Sovereign Capability in Manufacturing View session details
Chair Dr Andrew Robertson
Chief Health Officer and Deputy Director General, Public and Aboriginal Health Division, WA Health
Keynote Speaker Rear Admiral Sonya Bennett
Australian Defence Force
Panellists
Dr Felicia Pradera
Director, Regional Research Centre and Strategic Alliances, Moderna
Emma Prato
Program Leader, Medical Countermeasures, Health Security Systems Australia
Vaccine platform diversity as a strategic driver for ensuring regional health resilience
3:30 PM
to
4:00 PM
Afternoon Tea and Networking
4:00 PM
to
5:30 PM
Oral Abstract Presentations View session details
Speaker Justine Mann
From Vial to Vaccine: Sterile Manufacturing for Trial Readiness
Speaker Antonio Hellebuyck
Accelerating Protection: Lessons Learned from Designing and Delivering Vaccine Clinical Trials
Speaker Kylie Sproston and Andrew Brockway
Strengthening Australia’s Role in Global Vaccine Trial Delivery
Speaker Andrew Brockway
From Discovery to Investment Readiness: Leveraging Human Challenge Models and Integrated Infrastructure to Accelerate Vaccine Development
Speaker Kylie Hewson
Accelerating Veterinary Vaccines: Progress Since the First AVVC
Speaker Katie Asplin
Vaccine Value Chain: Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Animal Health Sector
From
6:00 PM
Conference Dinner View session details
Venue Strangers’ Room, Parliament House Sydney - 6 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000
Commences 6:00 PM
Concludes 11:00 PM
Dress Smart casual attire
Included Included with all Full Conference registrations.

Day 2: Wednesday 2 September 2026

8:30 AM
to
10:00 AM
Keynote and Panel Discussion Data and Capacity Building View session details
Chair Professor Jodie McVernon
Professor and Director of Doherty Epidemiology; Head, VIDRL Epidemiology Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases
Keynote Speaker Dr Arminder Deol
Head of Data Science and Advanced Analysis, CEPI
Panellists
Professor Miles Davenport
Program Head, Infection Analytics Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney
Professor Bette Liu
Associate Director, Population Health and Senior Medical Officer, National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance Australia
Professor Raina MacIntyre
NHMRC Leadership 3 Fellow and Professor of Global Biosecurity
A real time AI vaccine sentiment and misinformation tracker with vaccine chatbot
Associate Professor Helen Petousis-Harris
Co-Director, Global Vaccine Data Network, University of Auckland
Building Real-Time Vaccine Intelligence Systems: From Safety Signals to Policy Decisions and Public Confidence
10:00 AM
to
10:30 AM
Morning Tea and Networking
10:30 AM
to
12:00 PM
Keynote and Panel Discussion Tackling Vaccine Access Challenges and Uptake Resistance View session details
Chair Professor Helen Marshall
Director, Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Group and NHMRC Leadership Fellow, University of Adelaide
Panellists
Bianca Devsam
Researcher and PhD Candidate, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
Vaccine Exemptions in Australia: Where Policy Falls Short of Practice
Professor James Ward
Director, Poche Centre for Indigenous Health
Klara Henderson
New Products and Access Senior Adviser, Global Health Funds, Multilateral Health Branch, Global Health and Education Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Milena Dalton
Deputy Head, International Development; Head, Immunisation and Health Systems Strengthening
Training Vaccine Champions in Eastern Highlands and Morobe, Papua New Guinea
12:00 PM
to
1:00 PM
Lunch and Networking
1:00 PM
to
2:30 PM
Keynote and Panel Discussion
Pandemic Preparedness Session View session details
Chair Dr Kerry Chant
Chief Health Officer, NSW Health
Keynote Speaker Jane Halton
Chair, CEPI
Panellists
Emily Harper
Deputy Director-General, Australian Centre for Disease Control
Sue MacLeman
Chair, Medicines Australia
Professor Sharon Lewin
Director, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
Professor Robyn Langham AM
Chief Medical Adviser, Therapeutic Goods Administration
2:30 PM
to
3:00 PM
Afternoon Tea and Networking
3:00 PM
to
4:30 PM
Keynote and Panel Discussion
International and Regional Collaboration View session details
Chair Dr Stephanie Williams
Assistant Director-General, Communicable Diseases Branch, Australian Centre for Disease Control
Keynote Speaker Jerome H. Kim, M.D.
Director General, International Vaccine Institute
Panellists
Professor Denise Doolan
Director of Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience
From Discovery to Community: An International Collaboration for Next-Generation Malaria Vaccine Development
Professor Adam Cunningham
Professor of Functional Immunity, University of Birmingham
The BactiVac Model as a Blueprint to Strengthen Global and Regional Collaboration and Accelerate Bacterial Vaccine Development
Angus Forster
Chief Technology Officer, Vaxxas
The International Engine Behind Australian R&D: Why Global Partnerships Are the Pathway to Sovereign Capability
4:30 PM
to
5:00 PM
Closing Session