Aboriginal Health Showcase 2026

Each presentation will ideally be aligned with the themes listed above. However, the organising committee may adapt themes for the final program based on the topics of the submissions received. 

 Abstracts are to be submitted online through the University of Melbourne Qualtrics platform. Any information submitted will be provided to the organising committee members only.  

 If you are unable to complete the abstract submission electronically, please contact the Showcase organisers at [email protected]  or on 0421 705 422 to discuss other options. 

•  Abstract summaries must be no longer than 250 words. 
• Please submit your abstract by 5pm on 9 February 2026. 
• All submitted forms will be considered by the organising committee and assessed according to the selection criteria. 
• We may negotiate with you to adapt the original format of your presentation.
• All presentations will need to be in-person and presenters will need to meet their own travel costs. 
• Receipt of abstract submissions will be acknowledged by email. Presenters will be notified of acceptance by 20 February 2025. 

Selection criteria 

 Preference will be given to presentations that: 

• are presented or co-presented by Indigenous peoples
• include a presenter from the community with lived-experience
• are led by MACH, Monash Partners or Western Alliance partners
• include a research component 
• include an element of co-design and/or partnership with Community 
• align with the Showcase themes 
• provide educational or leadership opportunities for Indigenous staff 
• contribute to the improvement in Indigenous people’s health and wellbeing 
• provide insights and key learnings that will be useful to others 

Uncle Graham Atkinson (MACH Board representative)

Natalie Bloomfield (Northern Health)

Andrea Casey (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre)

Tanya Druce (Western Health)

Sharon Mongta (Royal Children’s Hospital)

Melanie Schmidt (MACH)

For further information please contact [email protected] or 0421 705 422.

The Aboriginal Leadership Group (ALG) is overseen by an Executive Committee that advises the MACH Board on the capacity and integration of Aboriginal focused translational research, cultural safety, education and clinical advances, with a key aim of meeting the needs of the Victorian Aboriginal community.

The ALG Executive Committee chooses to primarily focus on health care and health research pertaining to the Victorian Aboriginal communities as the MACH network spans across lands for which Victorian Aboriginal communities are the Traditional Custodians. The Committee understands that research conducted across the MACH Network may extend nationally and internationally, and may include other Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Communities.