Welcome to the May 2026 ASCEPT newsletter
In this video, you will hear from SAC Chair Luke Grundy and President Nicola Smith who discuss all the important details for WCP Awards and ASCEPT end-of-year SIG activities. Download the transcript here.
Associate Professor Nicola J. Smith
President – ASCEPT
In this edition
Updates from the WCP Organising Committee
Announcing the ASCEPT Fellowship & Awards Ceremony at WCP2026
ASCEPT is delighted to announce that the ASCEPT Fellowship and Awards Ceremony will be held in the main theatre at WCP2026. We encourage you to join us to meet our new Fellows and celebrate the winners of our major awards, following the Bellberry and Garth McQueen prize sessions earlier in the day.
Please note that the workshop schedule has been adjusted to accommodate this, as below.
The updated schedule is as follows:
- Bellberry New Investigator Award Oral Presentations
Monday, 9:00am-11:00am - ASCEPT Garth McQueen Oral Communication Prize Session
Monday, 11:30am-1:30pm - ASCEPT Fellowship and Awards Ceremony
Monday, 2:00pm-3:30pm
Please note the revised timing and plan your attendance accordingly.
ASCEPT Lecturer announced
Prof Robert Widdop has just been announced as the ASCEPT Lecturer for the 20th World Congress of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (WCP2026).
The ASCEPT Lectureship is awarded biennially to a member of ASCEPT who has made a significant and sustained contribution to the development of pharmacology and/or toxicology in Australasia.
Prof Robert Widdop
Rob Widdop obtained his PhD from Monash University and did postdocs at the Austin Hospital and in the United Kingdom, followed by NHMRC Research Fellowships at Monash University.
He has headed an independent laboratory (1993-) focused primarily on the biology and pathophysiology of modifying the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in cardiovascular disease and is involved in drug discovery programs to develop novel therapeutics for fibrosis. He was elected as a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society and a Fellow of the American Heart Association.
Rob has held executive positions in two major Australian societies. In particular, he was Co-Editor of ASCEPT Abstracts for the scientific AGM (1993-1997). At that time, conference abstracts were reviewed and often returned to authors for corrections prior to the AGM publication as a hard-copy Abstract Booklet. This period shaped his commitment to pharmacology while still a Research Fellow.
For the past 20+ years, Rob has been a Teaching & Research academic (2001-), and Professor and Head of Department of Pharmacology, Monash University (2011-). He has maintained novel research programs that have translational potential including: >AUD$19M in Category 1 funding, Co-Inventor on 3 independent patent families, with his IP resulting in the spinout company Inosi Therapeutics.
We look forward to Prof Widdop’s lecture titled The Long and Winding RAS Road: some reflections.
What is happening in the Innovation Theatre?
The Innovation Theatre at WCP2026 offers a dynamic platform for exploring the latest advancements, transformative technologies and forward-thinking solutions driving the evolution of basic and clinical pharmacology.
Conveniently situated within the exhibition area, the Innovation Theatre is a vibrant hub where breakthrough ideas come to life. All registered delegates are invited to join this inspiring space and engage with the future of the field.
AI in Research: A Discussion with Elsevier Publishers
Tuesday 14 July, 4:00pm-4:15pm
This talk explores how AI is transforming research and scholarly publishing, with a focus on Elsevier’s Responsible AI principles and their policies for authors, reviewers and editors. Attendees will gain insight into how Elsevier ensures explainability in AI outputs, optimise the scholar publishing process. The session will also touch on emerging innovations such as LeapSpace, illustrating how responsible AI can support more efficient, trustworthy, and impactful research workflows.
Maximising the impact of your research: Publishing with the British Pharmacological Society journals
Wednesday 15 July, 10:30am-11:00am
This session introduces the British Pharmacological Society’s journals – the British Journal of Pharmacology, the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacology Research & Perspectives – and offers practical guidance on publishing to maximise the visibility and impact of your research. Editors from all three journals will share what they look for in strong submissions, how to choose the right journal for your work and how society journals can support research across basic, translational and clinical pharmacology. The session will be relevant to researchers at all career stages.
Stay tuned for additional announcements about upcoming sessions in the innovation theatre. More details will be shared soon.
Less than one week left to submit your application for ASCEPT Awards and Prizes!
Less than one week remains to apply for the Bellberry New Investigator Award and the Garth McQueen Prize, with submissions closing Sunday 10 May 2026. The Elizabeth Davis Teaching Excellence Award deadline has also been extended to this date.
The Bellberry New Investigator Award and Garth McQueen Prize are open to New Investigators and Higher Degree student members, while the Elizabeth Davis Teaching Excellence Award is open to established educators in Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Toxicology across Australasia.
Please see the details of the available Prizes and Awards below. Career disruptions are taken into account and our EDI policy applies to all awards. If you have any questions about eligibility or the submission process, please contact the ASCEPT Executive Officer (ascept@ascept.org) or the Prize Coordinator (chantal.donovan@uts.edu.au).
ASCEPT Elizabeth Davis Teaching Excellence Award
For established educators, the ASCEPT Elizabeth Davis Teaching Excellence Award recognises significant contribution to education and/or training in one of the disciplines of Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Toxicology in Australasia. This award celebrates excellence, innovation, mentorship, and leadership in teaching.
Applications should be sent to the ASCEPT Executive Officer via email at ascept@ascept.org by 11:59pm AEST, Sunday 10 May 2026.
ASCEPT Garth McQueen Prize
For HDR Students and Advanced Trainees, the ASCEPT Garth McQueen Prize recognises scientific rigour paired with compelling, high-impact communication. Applicants will be shortlisted based on an extended abstract, with finalists delivering oral presentations at WCP2026. The best presentation will receive the ASCEPT Garth McQueen Prize.
Applicants must upload an extended project description and declaration in the submission portal by 11:59pm AEST, Sunday 10 May 2026.
Bellberry New Investigator Award
For EMCRs within eight years of their PhD, the ASCEPT Bellberry New Investigator Award celebrates research excellence, innovation, and emerging leadership. This award highlights rising stars shaping the future of pharmacology and toxicology.
Applications must be submitted through the submission portal by 11:59pm AEST, Sunday 10 May 2026 and should include a letter of support from the nominator, the nominee’s CV (max 2 A4 pages), an abstract of the proposed presentation, and a statement of relative to opportunity, if relevant.
Successful nominees will be invited to deliver a 20-25 minute presentation at the WCP2026. In addition, nominees will be eligible for the BPS-ASCEPT Outstanding Early Career Investigator Award.
Sarah Hilmer re-elected to IUPHAR Executive Committee
ASCEPT extends warm congratulations to 2025 Fellow Sarah Hilmer on her re-election as Clinical and Translational Section Chair of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology Executive Committee, effective 1 July 2026.
This well-deserved appointment recognises Sarah’s sustained leadership in clinical pharmacology, translational research and international collaboration. ASCEPT is delighted to see her continue in this important role, representing Australian expertise on the global stage.
ASCEPT awardees reflect on Science Meets Parliament 2026
ASCEPT is proud to showcase the experiences of some of our 2025 award winners – Dr Varuni Premaratne, Dr Abhipree Sharma and Dr Aili Langford – who attended Science Meets Parliament 2026, where they engaged with policymakers and strengthened their science communication and advocacy skills.
From our President, Nicola Smith: “I was delighted to accompany our 2025 award winners to the 2026 Science Meets Parliament. What a fabulous opportunity to grow networks, understand where their research fits into the larger STEM sector, and have an opportunity to meet with a parliamentarian in person. All three awardees were fantastic ambassadors for their research and for ASCEPT as a whole!”
ASCEPT EMCR Achievers spotlight
The ASCEPT EMCR Achievers spotlight series celebrates emerging researchers who are shaping the future of pharmacology through innovative, interdisciplinary work. This month we are featuring Dr Wessell Burger.
Dr Wessel Burger
Dr Wessel Burger is an NHMRC Emerging Leader Fellow and Senior Research Officer at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne, Australia. He completed his Master’s degree at Leiden University, followed by a PhD at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University.
ASCEPT Members making an impact
We want to celebrate our members who are making an impact in all walks of life. Do you know of someone who should be congratulated or highlighted?
We will start the ball rolling this month but encourage everyone to send one or two sentences praising an ASCEPT member to ascept@ascept.org. If you’d rather remain anonymous, let us know.
Professor Shane Bullock, OAM, Head of Monash Rural Health
Shane was recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours with the Order of Australia Medal for his contribution to community health. He was the 2018 recipient of the ASCEPT Teaching Excellence Award in recognition of his innovative approach to pharmacology learning and teaching and generations of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists have benefited from the ease with which he adapts to the learning needs of his students. As the co-author of a multi-award-winning Fundamentals of Pharmacology, currently in its 9th edition, his gift as an educator has extended across Australia and the Pacific region, as well as to the UK. The 3 additional textbooks he has co-authored, as well as his education publications spanning almost 3 decades, attest to his commitment to quality pharmacology education, particularly for medicine and the allied health fields. Congratulations, Shane!
Professor Andrew Rowland, Flinders University
Andrew and his Precision Medicine Team do a wonderful job raising money for cancer research by cycling 450km each year for the Tour De Cure SA Discovery Tour. For those less inclined to hit the South Australian wine regions, donations are welcome. Amazing work Andrew!
Still not on Mighty networks? You’ve missed these updates:
- Society newsletters and media releases
- National clinical practice guidelines for early-onset colorectal Cancer (EOCRC) survey
- Clinical Pharmacology Weekend registration and program released
- EOIs for Roving Scientist Program 2026
- TGA consultation
- IUPHAR open access database
- CP SIG – RACP position statement on AI in clinical practice – Australasia
- CP SIG – RACP Selection into Training update
- CP SIG – TGA response concerning Longevity in Listed Medicine product names
- CP SIG – NSW Health EOI for new statutory committees
- PE SIG – Webinar series past recordings and PE Resource Hub
- PE SIG – Webinar: Australian health data resources for pharmacoepidemiology and real-world evidence research
- RI SIG – Meet the researchers
- TX SIG – Article on the effects of tea tree oil on fertility
- TX SIG – IUTOX invitation to attend CTDC13
- TX SIG – IUTOXtalks returns – “Persistent and Pervasive: Tackling PFAS Through Science and Policy – A Global Perspective”
Remember to engage with your SIGs on Mighty Networks – like, comment, and share! It’s the only way we know the content is reaching members. Don’t forget to turn on your email notifications in settings to stay up to date.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
ASCEPT EDI Committee 2026
We recently put a call out for expressions of interest to join the EDI committee and were very pleased to get a number of high-quality applications!
Rima Caccetta was elected chair-elect – congratulations Rima! Rima brings her own diverse life experience to the EDI committee; she has a culturally and linguistically diverse background and has family members of varied faith and neurodiversity. Rima is passionate about ensuring that individuals are not placed in silos that may exclude them from equal opportunities. We look forward to Rima’s leadership in the coming years.
We also welcome two new members to the EDI committee, Rahini Ragavan and Arlene Taylor, and two returning members, Sheila Doggrell and Suong Ngo!
You can see the current composition of the ASCEPT EDI Committee on the ASCEPT website.
Days of significance
Below are days of significance observed in May. Click the links to learn more about each observance.
SIG updates
Use the drop-down menus below to view updates and learn more about ASCEPT SIG activities.
Pharmacoepidemiology SIG
The Pharmacoepidemiology Special Interest Group recently hosted a webinar exploring Australian data platforms for pharmacoepidemiology, with over 80 national and international registrants. The session provided a practical overview of Australia’s health data ecosystem and demonstrated how different data sources can be leveraged to support real-world evidence generation and pharmacoepidemiological research.
We were pleased to hear from two expert speakers:
- Dr Imaina Widagdo (University of Adelaide), who presented on navigating Australia’s health data landscape and its applications in research
- A/Prof Michael Falster (UNSW), who introduced the Medicines Intelligence (MedIntel) Data Platform and shared real-world research examples
A recording of the webinar is available here: Australian data platforms for pharmacoepidemiology.
To stay up to date, join us on Mighty Networks!
Toxicology SIG
ToxSig Practice Forum: Come and practice your scientific presentation for 5-10 minutes over zoom with the Toxicology SIG on 5 June.
The Tox SIG is arranging a special online event to provide an opportunity for Tox SIG members – particularly student members and early-career researchers – to present their research in a friendly and supportive environment.
This session is intended as a practice forum for those preparing presentations for WCP (World Congress of Pharmacology) or any other upcoming scientific meetings.
The event will be held online via Zoom and integrated with our Mighty Networks platform, RSVP in Mighty Networks.
We are planning to run the session on 5 June at 11:00am AEST (10:30am ACST/ 09:00am AWST).
Call for presentations: We invite students and interested researchers at all career stages to volunteer to give a short practice presentation of their work. Presentations may be at any stage of development and may cover completed studies, work in progress, or proposed research. Presentation length can be 5 minutes (especially useful for practicing your poster talks) or longer if required. We anticipate the event will last about 2 hours. Constructive feedback and discussion from fellow SIG members will be encouraged, with the aim of helping presenters refine their content, delivery and timing ahead of formal conference presentations.
See the Toxicology SIG Mighty Networks channel to secure your spot in the lineup or register your attendance.
ASCEPT Members in Research Australia INSPIRE Issue 38
ASCEPT members Kevin Pfleger, Chantal Donovan, Richard Kim and Madison Coward-Smith have written contributions to the Research Australia special focus on the future of the health and medical research workforce.
Important dates for your calendars
WCP2026
IUPHAR
ASCEPT Awards
10 May – Nominations CLOSE for:
- Bellberry New Investigator Award
- ASCEPT Garth McQueen Prize
- ASCEPT Elizabeth Davis Teaching Excellence Award
Other events
- 2026 ASCEPT Clinical Pharmacology Weekend - 16-17 May 2026
- Women in STEMM Leadership Summit - 17-18 June 2026
- European Society of Toxicology In Vitro (ESTIV 2026) - 29 June - 2 July 2026
- ASIATOX 2026 - 3-6 August 2026
- Save the date: 2026 ASCEPT NZ Forum ASM Christchurch – 2-4 September 2026
- EUROTOX 2026 - 13-16 September 2026
- 2026 Joint IATDMCT/SFPT Congress - 27-30 September 2026
Job opportunities
ASCEPT is excited to connect our members with the latest career opportunities in pharmacology and toxicology. Don’t miss the chance to explore roles that could shape the next step in your professional journey.
If you would like to advertise a position, please contact us at ascept@ascept.org.
What's new with our society network
Stay connected with the wider scientific and medical community. Below you can find a round-up of recent bulletins, policy updates, funding opportunities and events from partner organisations and international networks. Explore the latest news, grants and resources to support your work and keep you in the loop.
Moving forward all of these newsletters will also be shared in the general channel on Mighty Networks. Make sure to join here and turn on your email notifications to stay up to date!
STA provides members with regular updates on news, policy, events and funding opportunities, including grants, for professionals in science and technology.
STA Member Update – 17 April 2026
STA Member Update – 1 May 2026
STA Members 2026 Post – Budget Briefing – Friday 15 May, 1:30pm AEST
Research Australia provides member only exclusive updates to help keep you informed and in the know!
The Royal Society Te Apārangi newsletters share scientific updates, research highlights, awards, events and opportunities to keep the Aotearoa New Zealand research community informed and connected.
IUPHAR provides monthly updates highlighting key developments, research insights, organisational news, events and upcoming opportunities relevant to the global pharmacology community.
IUPHAR Lifetime Achievement Award Lecturer announced
Webinar: Inflammation-Mediated Mechanisms of Endothelial Dysfunction – 6 May 2026
International Forum for Early Career Researchers on Pharmacology of NP & TM – 8 May 2026
World Smart Medication Day webinar – 7 May 2026 – The theme of this webinar is Race, Ethnic and Socioeconomic Influences on Clinical Pharmacology. There are several ASCEPT presenters including Nick Buckley, Nuala Helsby and Sarah Hilmer.
The National Rural Health Alliance publishes a fortnightly email newsletter with updates from the alliance and rural health sector.
Health NZ Highlights provides a monthly update on key health system news, including policy developments, service updates, workforce initiatives and national health priorities across New Zealand.
The International Union of Toxicology update highlights global toxicology initiatives, including upcoming meetings, training and funding opportunities and efforts to advance international collaboration, education and research to improve human and environmental health.
The AMA updates provide commentary on current health policy issues, with a focus on evidence-based practice, public health messaging and the role of medical professionals in supporting informed healthcare decisions.
Feedback and suggestions
Have any feedback or suggestions, email the ASCEPT Secretariat here or by completing the form below.