The Research Connection Annual Conference - Saturday 14 November 2026
You’re invited — The Research Connection 2026 From First Breath: To Every Step Beyond
Saturday 14 November 2026 - 9.30 am-1.00 pm - Royal Women’s Hospital, Conference Room A, Melbourne
We are thrilled to invite you to The Research Connection 2026 our annual conference bringing together people with lived experience of preterm birth and neonatal care, health professionals and researchers to celebrate the power of consumer engagement in research and have the conversations that improve outcomes.
This year’s theme is Transitions — and we all know preterm birth is full of them. From womb to world, from the NICU to home, from becoming a parent in intensive care to starting school — these are the moments that shape lives, and this is where the conversations that support them happen.
What to expect:
An international keynote address from Professor Bobbi Pineda (PhD, OTR/L, CNT), Associate Professor at the University of Southern California and developer of the Baby Bridge Program, presenting on “Bridging the Gap: The Baby Bridge Program and the Transition from NICU to Home”
Research Insight Sprints— fast-paced 7-minute presentations where researchers communicate their work to every person in the room, with the audience voting for the People’s Choice Translation Excellence Award
An Expert Panel bringing together people with lived experience, health professionals and researchers — where you get to ask the questions that matter most.
Hosted by MCRI and the Extremely Preterm Infant CRE, in partnership with the University of Melbourne, The Royal Women’s Hospital and Cool Topics in Neonatology.
This event is free to attend — but places are limited, so please register early to secure your spot.
Please share this invitation with anyone you think would benefit from attending the more voices in the room, the richer the conversation.
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