The Annual Scientific Meeting for Leaders in Lung Health & Respiratory Science | 27 – 31 March 2026 | Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre

Advanced Trainees (Adult and Paediatric courses)

1000-1800

The Advanced Trainee workshop this year will have two streams, one for adult and one for paediatric focus run by senior respiratory physicians, senior advanced trainees, and allied health professionals. The program will provide ample opportunity to interact with the experts and ask any questions.

Please note: you do not need to register for the Professional Development half day workshop if you are registering for the Advanced Trainee workshops - both the adult and paediatric advanced trainee streams will cross-over with the Professional Development postgraduate workshop for added learning. 

Navigating the Cutting Edge: Hot Topics in Interstitial Lung Disease

1000-1800

This full-day workshop will provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the most impactful and "hot" topics in Interstitial Lung Disease. Leveraging the latest updates on research, clinical management, advances in precision diagnosis and management. Participants will gain practical insights and advanced knowledge to optimize patient care and understand future directions in ILD. The workshop will emphasize interactive learning, case discussions, and expert Q&A to facilitate knowledge translation into clinical practice.

Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim

Bronchiectasis 2026, a lifelong disease  

1000-1800

Bronchiectasis is the result of multiple causes including complex rare genetic disorders, severe infection, and other chronic lung diseases. It is under recognized, poorly understood and despite national guidelines there is limited access to care and variation in this care. Internationally it is being recognized as an important disease. Emerging data from European and US registries are outlining the problems. New therapies are emerging that provide effective therapies for the first time. 

This PG course will review the current state of the art in terms of bronchiectasis, the evidence around recommended treatment, including learnings from registry data and strategies to implement a multidisciplinary model of care. 

Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim

Pulmonary Embolism- Management in the era of Mechanical Thrombectomy

1000-1800

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a key clinical respiratory condition with frequent presentations to hospital resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Treatment is evolving rapidly with new technologies being available to diagnose and treat PE. Severity can vary across a large spectrum and appropriate risk stratification will ensure a tailored management including consideration of reperfusion therapies. New catheter-based reperfusion techniques have been developed recently with ongoing clinical trials. 

The main objective of this workshop is to provide clinical updates with a focus on the higher risk patients and the new mechanical thrombectomy techniques for managing pulmonary embolism. New catheter directed therapies have their own risks and benefits and the workshop will target the role of these therapies with a multidisciplinary focus. The workshop will consist of a combined multi-specialty faculty from respiratory medicine, diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology, and critical care. We will comprehensively review advances in diagnosis, risk stratification, imaging, therapeutic options , current clinical trials and evidence. This is relevant in relation to increasing evidence to support the use of mechanical thrombectomy techniques and technologies in higher risk pulmonary embolism patients. 

Sponsored by INARI Medical and Penumbra

8 Steps for Nodule Enlightenment – the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to nodule management
Friday 27 March 2026

Friday 1000-1300

Lung nodules are frequently encountered in clinical practice. Often incidental findings, with the recent commencement of the Australian National Lung Cancer Screening Program in July 2025, it is expected that there will be an increase in lung nodules referred for assessment. Generally asymptomatic findings, these can present a diagnostic and management challenge with a multitude of specialities instrumental in this workup.

Our workshop brings together expertise from Radiology, Respiratory Medicine, Interventional Pulmonology, Radiation Oncology and Thoracic Surgery to discuss some of the nuances which underpin the importance of multidisciplinary decision making. Using impactful short talks and panel discussion, our multidisciplinary panel will provide a crash course on:

• Tips and tricks for imaging interpretation
• Risk stratification
• Biopsy decision making
• Empiric treatment decision making
• Nodule MDT processes and examples

Sponsored by 4D Medical and AstraZeneca 

Breathing Easier: Understanding and Addressing Emerging Occupational Lung Disease

1000-1300

A workshop for healthcare professionals. It will outline the emerging and re-emerging occupational lung diseases, namely the increasing incidence of silicosis in underground tunnellers and stone benchtop industry, and re-emergence of coal worker’s lung. Dust associated airways diseases and their co-existence with a smoking history will also be outlined.

The workshop will cover several perspectives, including initial occupational assessment by Clinical Nurse Consultants, GP and then occupational physician, and the decision regarding referral for respiratory physician (RP) assessment. Where patterns are identified by the RP, how is this escalated to facilitate systematic approach to screening at-risk workers. There will be UpToDate scientific discussion regarding the pathophysiology of emerging occupational lung diseases and occupational hygienists will also provide some insight into their approach to work site assessments.

Sponsored by McDermott Richards Lawyers

Professional Development for advanced trainees and early-mid career members

1000-1300

This session aims to build the next generation of respiratory medicine professionals, including advanced trainees and early-to-mid career members for career and professional development, with networking opportunities with peers and experienced professionals in the field. 

Following this workshop, it is expected that the participants 

• Will learn the essential skills for ongoing continued education as part of their professional activities;
• Will be empowered to explore and identify opportunities for career development in clinical practice and research activities;
• Will have the opportunities to expand their professional networks.

Please note: if you wish to attend both the Professional Development and Advanced Trainee course you should register for the full day Advanced Trainee course.

TB on the spectrum

1000-1300

Tuberculosis Update in 2026.

Managing TB was the foundation of respiratory medicine, and the disease remains a significant global problem with the highest mortality of any infectious disease. TB diagnosis, prevention and treatment in 2026 has been made even more challenging with cuts to international aid and increased global conflict and instability. 

In Australia and NZ, TB rates remain static, with significant changes required to meet the UN agreed End TB targets of 2030. All respiratory physicians should be able to confidently diagnose and treat tuberculosis and all respiratory researchers and clinicians should understand the significance of this disease on lung health, with many of the more than 155 million survivors of TB worldwide experiencing Post TB sequelae such as bronchiectasis, COPD and pulmonary hypertension.

Sponsored by Qiagen

Clinical Breathlessness Management in Chronic Respiratory Disease

1430-1800

Managing long-term breathlessness is challenging for clinicians and is a distressing symptom for patients and their support people. 

Chronic breathlessness is a disabling and frightening symptom experienced by people with chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD and ILD. Despite optimal treatment of the underlying pathophysiology, breathlessness often persists and leads to people seeking help from healthcare professionals. Breathlessness is an ‘invisible’ symptom, where healthcare professionals may overlook symptoms, leading to inadequate person-centred care and increased use of emergency and hospital services. 

There is confusion about best practice in symptom management, with non-pharmacological strategies the cornerstone of breathlessness management yet, these approaches are not routinely embedded in clinical practice. Guidelines for pharmacological use in breathlessness prescriptions have led to clinical dilemmas in management and can undermine confidence in prescribing medications for dyspnoea that are viewed as palliative treatments.

This workshop places breathlessness under the microscope, with evidence-informed clinical strategies and real-world practice, incorporating assessment and management approaches, use of clinical practice guidelines, clinical case-based interactive discussions and patient experiences.

This workshop will cover identification, assessment and management of breathlessness in the clinical setting 

Sponsored by AstraZeneca and Chiesi 

Integrating smoking/vaping cessation into clinical practice and lung cancer screening programs

1430-1800

This workshop will provide practical guidance and discuss how to integrate evidence-based nicotine cessation treatments into adult and paediatric clinical settings. Based on experience from real models of care, the goal is to equip healthcare professionals with strategies to support adolescents and adults to quit and discuss how to integrate cessation into busy clinical services. Particular focus will be given to the promotion of smoking and vaping cessation in the context of The National Lung Cancer Screening Program (launched July 2025) and the recently published TSANZ position statement for managing e-cigarette use.

Topics Covered

1. An update on smoking and vaping cessation guidelines
2. The role of the pharmacist in cessation
3. Paediatric models of care
4. Schools based models of prevention & cessation
5. The role of Primary care in university settings
6. Adult models of care
7. Lung cancer screening-how to integrate nicotine cessation
8. Indigenous Health-models of care for prevention/cessation

Sponsored by AstraZeneca and Kenvue

Lung Transplantation in the Modern Era: Recent Advances and Unresolved Challenges

1430-1800

This session is designed to provide a comprehensive update for clinicians, surgeons, researchers, nurses and allied health professionals on the significant progress being made in improving patient outcomes and expanding the frontiers of this life-saving therapy. It explores current practices in lung transplantation, focusing on evidence-based clinical methods, advanced immunological principles, and collaborative care strategies. It addresses key aspects of transplant medicine, including referral criteria, as well as donor eligibility considerations. 

Through expert-led discussions and structured case presentations, participants gain valuable insights into the complexities of thoracic transplantation, contributing to enhanced patient outcomes and the continued evolution of best-practice standards across diverse healthcare settings.

Sponsored by Astellas