2025 CTN Workshop wrap

Record attendance

The 2025 ANZCA Clinical Trials Network Strategic Research Workshop was held in Glenelg, SA, on 8–10 August 2025. It was the largest workshop in our history, reaching full capacity with 215 delegates from Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. Participation has more than doubled since 2014 and grew by a further 20 per cent on last year. This year welcomed 65 first-time delegates, 49 long-standing members from the original Trials Group era (prior to 2015), and, for the first time, more than 100 fellows in attendance. 

Workshop highlights

The program featured two dedicated streams: trial delivery for research co-ordinators and research teams, and research development for new and emerging investigators. Across the weekend, delegates heard 18 new trial proposals from emerging and established researchers, and keynote addresses on statistics, platform trials, and health economics delivered by Professor Kate Lee (Vic) and Dr Lisa Higgins (Vic).

30 years of clinical trial recruitment

Delegates also enjoyed a night of celebration at a space-themed dinner, which marked the conclusion of the seven year ROCKet trial and 30 years since recruitment began for the MASTER trial. 

Hannah's moving tribute to research co-ordinators

On the final day, Professor Philip Peyton (Vic) presented late-breaking ROCKet trial results, followed by a moving reflection from Hannah Cozens (Vic), who shared her experience as a ROCKet trial patient and her supportive encounter with research co-ordinator Natasha Brice from Grampians Health. 

The CTN great debate

The program closed with the CTN great debate, where speakers combined sharp wit and insight to argue cases for and against platform trials.

Post workshop meetings

Following the main program, dozens of delegates took part in the paediatric and Trans-Tasman satellite meetings, providing opportunities to reflect, extend the conversations and learning, and strengthen collaboration.

The CTN thanks Spiral Software, the ANZCA Foundation, convenors, speakers, AV partner Wallfly, organisers and delegates for making the 2025 workshop a standout success. We look forward to welcoming colleagues to the Gold Coast in 2026.

ANZCA Curriculum session 

Ahead of the workshop, leaders in research, education, and curriculum development came together to discuss how the college can strengthen research engagement in training. The session was co-convened by Associate Professor Nicole Phillips (NSW) and Associate Professor David Highton (Qld) on behalf of the CTN Executive and drew more than 100 trainees, fellows, and college leaders.

The panel explored how research can remain a defining feature of anaesthesia, despite pressures of clinical workload and a crowded curriculum. Key themes included the importance of research literacy for all fellows, the value of mentorship and trainee research networks, and the need for greater flexibility in training to support higher degrees and involvement in multicentre studies. This session highlighted ANZCA’s opportunity to lead internationally by ensuring future anaesthetists remain both clinically capable and research engaged. 

Hong Kong delegates welcomed

We were delighted to welcome four dual fellows of ANZCA and the Hong Kong College of Anaesthesiologists. This builds on the legacy of Professor Matthew Chan, whose leadership in developing and facilitating CTN studies in Hong Kong has advanced joint study design, patient recruitment, and funding, strengthening the generalisability of our trial results. Recognised as a powerhouse of clinical trial excellence, Hong Kong’s partnership with the CTN is also helping to nurture the next generation of clinical trial leaders.

Research co-ordinator and research teams

A record 84 research coordinators attended this year’s meeting, up from 69 in 2024, with 26 (31 per cent) joining for the first time. The annual Anaesthesia Research Co-ordinators Network dinner was again a highlight, with a full house.

A dedicated stream on excellence in clinical trial delivery featured a keynote presentation by Dr Lisa Higgins (Vic) on consenting patients to platform trials, a statistician’s perspective on data quality by Associate Professor Sabine Braat (SA), and a debate on whether the CTN is ready to move to electronic case report forms, led by Ms Kaitlin Kramer (NSW) and Ms Natalie Hird (WA).

The second session spotlighted stakeholder management, with Ms Allison Kearney (Qld) and Ms Louise de Prinse (SA) leading discussion, followed by trial team presentations and an open forum troubleshooting current CTN trials.

New and emerging researchers

A key priority was to welcome and support new and emerging researchers. Opportunities included a dedicated mentoring session, round-table discussions, and a networking reception for fellows, trainees, and collaborators.

The dedicated new and emerging researchers stream enabled delegates to workshop new research proposals in small groups, and featured an introduction to Bayesian statistics by Associate Professor David Sidebotham (NZ), a research journey reflection by Dr Adam Badenoch (SA), and a keynote on engaging with statisticians by Professor Kate Lee (Vic).

Dr Matthew Bright wins emerging investigator prize

Congratulations to Dr Matthew Bright (Qld), awarded the ANZCA CTN Emerging Investigator Prize at the 2025 Strategic Research Workshop for his study WAVELET-II: Individualised haemodynamic optimisation informed by the lower limit of cerebral autoregulation during PEARS surgery. The prize, supported by the ANZCA Foundation, recognises early-career researchers in anaesthesia, pain, and perioperative medicine, fostering innovation and academic excellence. Prof David Story awarded Dr  Matthew Bright the prize at the conference dinner.  

Professor Tomas Corcoran featured on ABC radio 

Professor Tomas Corcoran, chair of the Clinical Trials Network Executive, was interviewed for the ABC Radio Adelaide Drive program on 6 August about the CTN and the Reduction Of Chronic post-surgical pain with Ketamine (ROCKet) trial.