Day 2: Keynote Address - Ainslie Cahill AM

This year’s keynote address was delivered by Ainslie Cahill AM, Chair of the NHMRC/Medical Research Futures Fund Consumer Advisory Group and consumer lead for Monash Partners Academic Health Science Centre.

Ainslie spoke about the growing consumer movement in research—shifting consumer involvement from philosophical intention to practical, meaningful engagement from the earliest stages of project and grant development.

Key Takeaways:

• NHMRC/MRFF funders now score consumer involvement, with consumers participating directly on assessment panels.
• To be competitive in funding: understand and meet the assessment criteria.
• The NHMRC medical research strategy is under review, with greater emphasis on consumer-centred and efficient research approaches.
• Organisations need to resource consumer training and mentoring for researchers.
• For lab-based research, open days can create lasting consumer partnerships.
• Communication training should be embedded in university degrees and research pathways.

Useful Resources:

• Medical Research Future Fund: Principles for Consumer and Community Involvement
• WAHTN / Australian Health Research Alliance Consumer Involvement Handbook
• Health Research Hub

Following the keynote, a panel discussion explored practical strategies for strengthening consumer involvement in research. The panel included:

• Professor Sophia Zoungas – Head, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University
• Daniel Olasoji – Community Engagement, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute
• Melissa Lewry – Double lung transplant recipient, The Alfred
• Justine Philips – Survivor of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (2020)

Watch the keynote address and panel discussion below.