WOMBAT Newsletter
    July 2007


Welcome to the July issue of WOMBAT News.

This month we feature meetings, workshops and courses. We draw your attention to the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ) congress to be held on the Gold Coast in April 2008. Preliminary programme and information are now available on the PSANZ website. 

In this issue:

    • WOMBAT MEETINGS / WORKSHOPS
    • OTHER MEETINGS / WORKSHOPS
    • USEFUL LINKS/NETWORKS
    • COURSES

WOMBAT MEETINGS / WORKSHOPS:

Further information available on the WOMBAT website Conferences page

August 2007, Adelaide
WOMBAT Collaboration Workshop: Designing a protocol for a maternal or perinatal RCT
August 2 – 3

Education Centre, Level 2, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, 72 King William Rd North Adelaide
For details contact Rebecca Tooher: Rebecca.Tooher@adelaide.edu.au

Participants will work through the development of a protocol for a randomised trial and at the end of the workshop will have completed a basic plan for the design and conduct of the trial. No prior experience is necessary; however, if possible, participants should bring to the workshop a clinical question which could be worked into a trial protocol.

August 2007, Townsville

WOMBAT Workshop: Women's & Babies Health and Wellbeing - Improving Outcomes
Thursday August 9,
9.30am - 4.30pm
Robert Douglas Auditorium, Townsville

Hosted by the Northern Education Branch of the Neonatal Nurses Association of Queensland Inc

This one day workshop will look at the role of randomised trials in improving the health of mothers and babies. Participants working in small groups will focus on an important clinical question – practices to prevent neonatal infection – and consider the evidence currently available to guide clinical practice and the need for further research. In the afternoon participants will learn how the clinical questions they have been discussing can be turned into robust research study designs with results which could be used to improve practice.

Cost: Nil

Morning and afternoon tea and lunch will be provided.

For details contact Rebecca Tooher: Rebecca.Tooher@adelaide.edu.au

September 2007, Brisbane
Mater Research Support Centre and Centre for Clinical Studies, Mater Health Services Brisbane in collaboration with WOMBAT: Evidence Based Health Care & Statistics for Clinical Research: an Introductory Course
September 7 & 8: Evidence Based Health Care
October 6 & 13: Statistics for Clinical Research
For programme information and registration details: download flyer
 


OTHER MEETINGS / WORKSHOPS:
August 2007, Melbourne

Australian Breastfeeding Conference
Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre
August 2-4

Hot Milk is the Australian Breastfeeding Association’s largest ever National Conference.
• It aims to bring together supporters on Breastfeeding and the Australian Breastfeeding Association nationally and internationally

For programme information and registration details: http://www.lrc.asn.au/hotmilk/

ASPOG
33rd Annual Scientific Meeting: ‘Talking Women’s Business’
Rydges Carlton Hotel, Melbourne
August 10 – 11
For programme information and registration details: www.aspog.org.au

Clinical Research Excellence 07
August 17 - 19
Delegates will have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of sessions which directly relate to their expertise, experiences or general interest in Clinical Research.

For programme information and registration details: http://www.crx07.com/Program.htm

September 2007, New Zealand
Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS) Annual Scientific Meeting
Christchurch Convention Centre
September 7-8
The Australasian Diabetes Society is a professional body established to advance clinical and scientific knowledge of diabetes in pregnancy, to encourage dissemination of this knowledge and to foster collaboration with other regional societies interested in diabetes in pregnancy. It is also involved in the development of health policy regarding diabetes in pregnancy at the National and State levels.
www.adips.org

September 2007, Japan
XXth Asian and Oceanic Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AOCOG2007)
"New Tide in Obstetrics and Gynecology"
Tokyo
September 21-25
www.ics-inc.co.jp/aocog2007/

September 2007, Sydney
International Clinical Trials Symposium
September 23 - 26
Hosted by the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre (University of Sydney)
Will appeal too many, including clinical triallists, clinical researchers, biostatisticians, academics, pharmaceutical professionals, data managers, medical specialists, clinical educators, consumer advocates, and research nurses.

The Symposium will provide a forum for exchanging ideas on practical aspects of undertaking trials research, translating trial results into best practice and presenting research.

Go to the symposium site for updates: www.clinicaltrials2007.com
Or for further details email: info@clinicaltrials2007.com

September 2007, Canberra
Australian College of Midwives 15th biennial conference
September 25 - 28
Our program is a mixture of exciting international, national and local speakers with a large smattering of hands-on workshops, all designed to make us better midwives for the women and babies with whom we work. We also have a strong theme of the arts to heighten our senses and increase our understandings and a fabulous social program to pamper our always-busy, always-giving selves.
For programme information and registration details: http://www.congresswest.com.au/midwives2007/index.html

October 2007, London
ISA 2007: 3rd Annual conference of the International Stillbirth Alliance
October 1-4
For programme information and registration details: http://www.isa2007.org/

October 2007, Gold Coast
RANZCOG
October 2-5
For programme information and registration details: www.ranzcog2007asm.com.au

October 2007, Melbourne
National Research Ethics Conference
October 16-18
The Conference seeks to promote debate about the ethical dimensions of human research. Good research is ethical in design as well as in conduct. This conference will explore:

This conference provides an additional opportunity to provide information about the new National Statement. The National Ethics Application Form is being revised to take account of the new National Statement, and will be available before the end of 2007.

For programme information and registration details: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/ethics/conference.htm

November 2007, Perth
5th International Congress on Developmental Origins of Health & Disease (DOHAD)
November 6 - 10
DOHaD is emerging as one of the most significant forms of international research in determining the prevention and treatment of many child and adult illnesses. This year, there will be a strong emphasis on the political and economic implications for emerging nations.

By attending, you will gain access to some of the highest quality research currently in progress.

For further information and registration details go to http://www.congresswest.com.au/dohad/

November 2007, Adelaide
Women's Hospitals Australasia & Children's Hospitals Australasia
November 12 – 16
'Responding with Style to Changes in Lifestyle'
Women's Hospitals Australasia & Children's Hospitals Australasia hold a joint conference each year at a different location in Australia and New Zealand. We welcome attendance from health professionals, health service managers, academics and others involved or interested in the health and welfare of women, children and babies.

For further programme information and registration details:
http://www.wcha.asn.au/index.cfm/spid/1_27.cfm

November 2007, Sydney
Society of Obstetric Medicine of Australia and New Zealand (SOMANZ)
Clinical Refresher and Annual Scientific Meeting, Manly Pacific, Sydney
November 16-18
For further programme information and registration details: www.somanz.org

Festschrift for Professor David Henderson-Smart OAM, University of Sydney
November 22
Symposium 9am – 5pm
Dinner 7 pm
Email: atupai@perinatal.usyd.edu.au


FUTURE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
2008
April, Gold Coast

Australian College Neonatal Nurses Association Inc Annual Conference
 Sunday 20th April
For further details go to ACNN website: www.acnn.org.au
Or download preliminary announcement


Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand Annual Congress
Celebrating 25 years: Reflections and Projections
Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre
Queensland, Australia
20 – 23 April 2008
In commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Australian Perinatal Society and the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand, a silver anniversary exhibition, plenary session and poster session with contributions from all industry will be included at this years’ Congress.

For further programme information and registration details: http://www.psanz.org.au/

USEFUL LINKS / NETWORKS
World Health Organisation launches clinical trial search tool: http://www.who.int/trialsearch/

The World Health Organisation has launched a web site to enable researchers, health practitioners and consumers to search for information on clinical trials.

The site works as portal into multiple clinical trial registers with a global search function.
COURSES:
Victorian Public Health Research and Education Council (VPHREC) courses: www.vphrec.com.au/news
Education - Award Course
August 13
Specialist Certificates in Clinical Research: (Informatics & Analysis) and (Biomedical Research Management) http://www.vphrec.com.au/news/news.asp?menuid=1&articleid=956

For more information on WOMBAT initiatives, please contact the WOMBAT Collaboration national co-ordinator: p.middleton@wombatcollaboration.net

The WOMBAT Collaboration is funded through a NHMRC enabling grant

FURTHER INFORMATION

For more information on WOMBAT initiatives, please visit our website: http://www.wombatcollaboration.net

or contact the WOMBAT Collaboration national co-ordinator

The WOMBAT Collaboration is funded through a NHMRC enabling grant.