UNSW

Women's health is more than a health issue — it's a workforce, innovation and economic opportunity.

How can advancing women's health strengthen workforce participation, leadership and productivity? And what needs to change across research, healthcare, policy and workplaces to create a more equitable future?

Recorded live at Innovating Women's Health: Creating the Workforce of Tomorrow, this thought-provoking panel discussion explores the women's health gap, emerging opportunities for innovation and the practical actions needed to drive meaningful change.

Hosted by UNSW Medicine & Health in its inaugural collaboration with Women's Health @ UNSW, the event also marked the official introduction of this new strategic initiative to an external audience, connecting research, education, clinical translation, policy and innovation to advance women's health across the life course.

Moderated by Dr Melina Georgousakis, Founder of Franklin Women, the conversation features:

Professor Parmjot Bains – Chief Medical Officer, RNA Institute, UNSW Medicine & Health

Dr Michael Holland MP – Member for Bega

Dr Sneha Wadhwani – Co-Founder and National Clinical Director, Evoca Women's Health

Together, they explore how better evidence, investment, innovation and cross-sector collaboration can improve women's health outcomes while building a more inclusive, capable and sustainable workforce.

Listen to the conversation and discover what it will take to create the workforce of tomorrow.

Hear from internationally renowned immunologist and health innovation leader Professor Sir Robert Lechler, in conversation with Professor Cheryl Jones, Dean of UNSW Medicine & Health.

Recorded on 26 October 2026, this engaging discussion explores international research collaboration, genomics, innovation and commercialisation and how we can translate scientific discoveries into more personalised, accessible and equitable healthcare.

Hosted by UNSW Medicine & Health, aligned with their ambition for Better, Equitable Health for All.

Listen or watch now and explore the future of precision health.

Across Australia and around the world, the story of cancer is changing. Once seen primarily as a disease of later life, cancer is now being diagnosed earlier, raising urgent and complex questions. Is it our environment? Our lifestyle? Improved detection? Or something we are yet to understand?

At the same time, the science is advancing rapidly. Breakthroughs in genomic sequencing, advanced imaging and AI are transforming how we detect and treat cancer.

Yet progress also highlights persistent challenges. Many communities continue to face barriers to early detection and specialist care. Ensuring equitable access is critical so that everyone, regardless of where they live, can benefit from the next generation of cancer care.

Listen to this recording of Cancer Reimagined, where leading experts explore why early diagnoses are rising and what it will take to translate scientific breakthroughs into better, more equitable health outcomes for all.

A special Kirby Institute 40th anniversary event, hosted in partnership with UNSW Medicine & Health.

We were honoured to host an incredible lineup of speakers, who shared their reflections, insights and memories of the early days of the HIV epidemic in Australia and establishment of the Kirby Institute, including the unprecedented cross-sector collaboration that informed Australia’s widely-regarded national response to HIV, and how HIV and health research has evolved since then, both at the Kirby and beyond.

UNSW Medicine & Health, in collaboration with NSW Health, the Future Workforce Unit and the International Centre for Future Health Systems at UNSW, proudly presents the Future Health Skills Summit.

This summit shifts the focus from what the research is to how we build the future workforce skills and job redesign needed to translate it at scale. We are looking beyond the lab and into the clinic, the community and policy spaces to shape a Future Health Skills roadmap. From Professor Michael Kidd’s keynote on the changing needs and skills of Australia’s future health workforce to the panel’s insights on person‑centred care, mental health, technology and interdisciplinary teamwork. The recording is now available to share with colleagues and friends - enjoy! Thank you for your engagement and for helping shape a more connected, equitable and future‑ready health system.

What will tomorrow’s hospitals look like? Forget the traditional, centralised model - the future of healthcare is shifting towards person-centred, technology-enabled systems. From digital health and AI, to precision medicine, sustainability and community-based care, we’re entering a new era of innovation and opportunity.

But with opportunity comes challenges. How do we ensure innovation is equitable? How do we ethically and morally embrace AI and genomics without losing the human touch? And how do we build health systems that are resilient, responsive, and truly sustainable?

Join us as leading voices from Australia and around the world explore the hospital of the future, and what it means for patients, professionals, and communities.

This event is proudly presented in partnership with the International Centre for Future Health Systems (ICFHS) at UNSW Sydney.

From silent suffering to systemic change, endometriosis is finally being heard. But is it truly understood?

In this powerful conversation, Sydney Morning Herald Health Editor, Kate Aubusson, leads a panel of leading gynaecologists, women’s health specialists, and passionate advocates in unpacking the often-overlooked realities of endometriosis — a chronic condition affecting millions around the world.

From misdiagnosis and fertility challenges to the emotional toll, the panel explores the deep gaps in women’s healthcare, research, and funding.

But this is also a story of hope and change.The discussion highlights emerging insights and innovations, including the launch of the Ainsworth Endometriosis Research Institute at UNSW, a world-first initiative dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by endometriosis.

From playtime to screen time, today’s youth are growing up in a world of swipes, scrolls, and constant connection. But at what cost?

In a discussion led by award-winning host and producer of All in the Mind, Sana Qadar, a panel of leading psychologists, psychiatrists and industry experts, explored how digital technology is shaping the mental health and wellbeing of children and teens. They unpacked the science behind addictive design, the rising prevalence of mental disorders, and the real-world harms linked to online behaviour.

But it’s not all doomscrolling. This timely conversation also highlighted how technology is being used to support young people — from early interventions to innovative digital tools that improve access to mental health care.

As digital technology becomes ever more embedded in young people’s lives, discover how the risks can be better understood, the benefits harnessed, and young minds supported in navigating an increasingly connected world.

In today's health landscape, consumer involvement is crucial for high quality and impactful clinical research. Funders now recognise the importance of including consumer voices in grant applications. While meaningfully interweaving community needs and lived experiences into research can be challenging due to factors like rigid organisational processes and knowledge gaps, researchers are increasingly looking for innovative strategies and best practice approaches to bridge these gaps. This growing commitment is paving the way for greater levels of involvement and more effective partnerships between people with lived experience and health researchers.

In this discussion led by Janelle Bowden, Community and Consumer Research Consultant, experts from diverse research backgrounds and lived experiences including Emma Tinkler, a consumer advocating and living with Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis; Karena Conroy, Manager of the Consumer and Community Involvement Program at The George Institute; Robert Monaghan, the inaugural Manager of First Nations Health Research at the Kirby Institute; and Steven Marsh, Consumer Chair for Consumer and Community at NeuRA—highlighted the importance of engaging consumers and people with lived experience in research. They explored why genuine collaboration between researchers and those with lived experience not only enriches the research process but also drives more relevant, meaningful, and transformative outcomes.

Munira Tabassum Ahmed is Winner of the UNSW Culture Awards, Art Collection Writing Prize - for her breathtaking poem ‘The Overlaying’ in response to the artwork ‘Desert rain 2’ by artist Michelle Teear who painted this artwork based on a trip to the Pilbara in north Western Australia.

Munira Tabassum Ahmed is an established writer and poet. Her work has been published, she has received numerous awards, residencies and scholarships, she’s currently working on her first novel and is a second-year medical student at UNSW