WIRF Scientific Dialogue 2026 shines a light on women’s health
On Friday 28 August 2026, the Women and Infants Research Foundation (WIRF) welcomed more than 150 health professionals, researchers, academics, consumers and supporters to its annual WIRF Scientific Dialogue, with this year’s theme being Reframing ‘Irregular’: Not Rare, Not Insignificant, No Longer Overlooked.
Chaired by WIRF Chief Scientist Professor Matt Kemp, the Dialogue brought together leading voices from research, medicine, and the community to explore the future of evidence-based care across women’s, maternal, newborn and family health.
Putting women’s experiences at the centre of research
The event opened with a community and consumer panel, facilitated by Joanne Beedie, featuring Pip Brennan, Dr Jacqueline Maybin, Deb Portughes and Cassie Silver. The panel explored the everyday experience of menstruation and reproductive health, including the impact of heavy menstrual bleeding, the tendency for women’s symptoms to be dismissed as “normal”, and what needs to change in both healthcare and research.
The discussion reinforced the importance of bringing consumer voices and lived experience into research – helping ensure the questions being investigated reflect the issues that matter most to women and have meaningful real-world impact.
Challenging the way we think about women’s health research
Internationally recognised women’s health researcher Dr Jacqueline Maybin delivered this year’s keynote address The Missed Vital Sign – A $50M Program in Women’s Health. Dr Maybin is a leading UK clinician-scientist and Reader and Honorary Consultant Gynaecologist at the Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian. Her research focuses on menstrual and reproductive health, with a particular interest in heavy menstrual bleeding.
Her latest research, recently published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health, identifies the Top 10 Research Priorities for Problematic Menstrual Bleeding in the UK.
Importantly, the research priorities were developed through partnership between people with lived experience and healthcare professionals. Dr Maybin believes this approach can help shift women’s health research towards the questions that actually matter to women and clinicians – rather than researchers deciding in isolation what should be investigated.
Showcasing the next generation of WA research
The Dialogue also showcased the breadth and depth of women’s health research taking place across Western Australia. Outstanding emerging and senior researchers – including Dr Dane Cheasley, Dr Jacqueline Frayne, Professor Luke Haseler, Dr Sara Morris, and Dr Felicity Roux with Ella Marshall – presented new findings and perspectives across a range of disciplines.
Their presentations explored:
- Advancing precision care for rare low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma
- Endometriosis-related symptoms: How can we improve healthcare interactions?
- Detection of early diastolic dysfunction in women after preeclampsia
- Practical insights from watching physiological breech births: A video analysis project
- Adolescent mental and menstrual wellbeing in Western Australia
Together, these presentations highlighted the breadth of research needed to improve health outcomes for women, babies and families – from better understanding women’s experiences to developing more precise approaches to diagnosis, treatment and care.
Celebrating emerging researchers
For the second consecutive year, the Dialogue hosted a student researcher competition, providing an opportunity for emerging researchers to share their work with an audience of leading researchers, clinicians and health professionals.
Two abstracts were selected for oral presentation, with the $1,000 prize awarded to Jelica Gencel-Augusto for her presentation, Birthplace & Mother’s Own Milk Feeding Outcomes in Transported HIE Infants.
Congratulations also to Melissa Gardiner, whose presentation, Perceived value of a midwifery-led on-call telephone service: State Obstetric Referral Call (STORC) from St John Ambulance WA clinicians, was also highly commended.
Investing in the future of women’s and family health
A major highlight of the Dialogue was the announcement of the 2026 WIRF Research Acceleration Awards.
The Awards support world-class research addressing critical challenges in women’s, maternal, newborn and family health, helping researchers turn promising ideas into discoveries that can ultimately improve health outcomes.
Read more about the 2026 Research Acceleration Award recipients.
Thank you to our Scientific Dialogue community
WIRF extends its sincere thanks to all presenters, panellists, delegates, exhibitors and supporters who contributed to the success of the 2026 WIRF Scientific Dialogue.
The event would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors, whose contributions help WIRF bring leading researchers, clinicians and community voices together to advance evidence-based healthcare. Special acknowledgement goes to:
Principal Partner:
Gold Sponsors:
Silver Sponsors:
