Workshop recap

Nearly 190 delegates, speakers and sponsors gathered at QT Gold Coast from 21–23 August for the 2026 ANZCA Clinical Trials Network Strategic Research Workshop, bringing together investigators, research co-ordinators, trainees, consumers and research partners from Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

The program featured two dedicated streams. Research co-ordinators and research teams focused on the practical delivery of multicentre clinical trials, including recruitment and consent, budgets and resourcing, while new and emerging investigators worked through protocol development and the pathway from research idea to grant success.

From evidence to implementation

Across the weekend, delegates heard updates from established CTN trials and 14 new trial proposals from emerging and experienced researchers, alongside keynote presentations from statistician Dr Kristy Robledo and implementation scientist Associate Professor Ingrid Hickman.

Associate Professor Hickman explored how implementation outcomes can be embedded into trial design from the outset, while Dr Robledo examined the pathway from primary analysis through to evidence synthesis. The program also provided investigators developing studies for network-wide delivery with an opportunity to test their ideas, receive feedback and build connections across the CTN.

On Sunday, Professor Philip Peyton presented a deeper dive into the ROCKet trial, followed by discussion about the findings and their implications for clinical practice.

Emerging Investigator Prize winner

Dr Sarah Lee was awarded the 2026 ANZCA CTN Emerging Investigator Prize for her feasibility trial comparing intrathecal morphine with intravenous methadone in major abdominal surgery.

The Emerging Investigator Prize session gives new and emerging clinician-researchers an opportunity to present developing research ideas, receive expert feedback and build connections across the CTN. Four investigators presented proposals spanning perioperative and pain research.

The A$1000 prize is generously supported by the ANZCA Foundation, with ANZCA President Dr Tanya Selak announcing Dr Lee as the winner at the conference dinner. Read more about the prize session in our news article.

Consumer and Māori engagement

A focus of the emerging investigators stream was consumer engagement, Māori partnership and equity, with practical insights from consumers, investigators and research teams. The sessions encouraged delegates to consider how participants experience clinical research and how meaningful engagement can be embedded into trial design and delivery from the outset.

Using the PUMA trial as a case study, Paige Druce and Dr Luke Perry shared practical approaches to consumer co-design, while consumer advocate Peter Button highlighted the importance of genuine partnership and lived experience in shaping relevant and meaningful research.

Dr Matthew Moore also discussed Māori partnership and equity in studies involving New Zealand sites, including research team composition, ethnicity data, Māori data sovereignty and New Zealand-specific ethical requirements. Read more about the consumer and Māori engagement in our news article.

Image (L–R): Dr Matthew Moore (NZ), Kathryn Rough (Vic), Peter Button (Qld), Dr Kristy Robledo (NSW), Paige Druce (Vic) and Dr Luke Perry (Vic).

Methodology masterclasses

Two sell-out masterclasses held ahead of the workshop strengthened methodological expertise across the network. Associate Professor Sabine Braat and Dr Anurika De Silva explored the application of the estimand framework in anaesthesia clinical trials, while Associate Professor Ingrid Hickman and Dr Mark Liu introduced effectiveness–implementation hybrid trial designs and practical approaches to embedding implementation considerations into trial design.

Together, the sessions gave delegates practical tools to strengthen study design, analysis and implementation. Read more about the masterclasses in our news article.

The CTN great debate

The scientific program closed with the always-lively CTN Great Debate, with Associate Professor Lachlan Miles and Professor Paul Myles taking opposing sides on the proposition: “De-implementation is the only implementation that matters.”

PUMA gets under way

Following its recent funding success, the PUMA trial is now under way. Dr Luke Perry, Associate Professor Lachlan Miles, Trazzie Luk and Paige Druce embraced the PUMA theme in red Puma- branded tracksuits as they walked delegates through the rationale for the trial and the practical processes involved in establishing PUMA across hospital sites in Australia, New Zealand and internationally.

The start-up meeting provided an opportunity for participating and prospective sites to hear directly from the study team, discuss trial operations and prepare for the next phase of recruitment.

TopMedTalk makes its workshop debut

Hosted by Professor Kate Leslie AO and Dr Mark Priestley, TopMedTalk spoke with researchers and members of the CTN community about current trials, emerging research and issues shaping perioperative medicine.

Conversations included Professor Trisha Peel discussing the CALIPSO trial; Associate Professor Andrew Toner and Natalie Hird on HYPE; Dr Luke Perry and Associate Professor Lachlan Miles on the PUMA trial; and Associate Professor Nicole Phillips and Dr David Bramley on the role of anaesthetists in medical management.

Paediatric research collaboration

The Society for Paediatric Anaesthesia in New Zealand and Australia also held a research meeting ahead of the workshop, providing an opportunity to develop new research protocols and methodologies and explore emerging areas, including the use of artificial intelligence in research and healthcare.

Hong Kong delegates welcomed back

Hong Kong continues to play an important role in the CTN’s international research network, with four dual fellows of ANZCA and the Hong Kong College of Anaesthesiologists (HKCoA) joining the 2026 workshop.

The collaboration has grown from a strong foundation established through Professor Matthew Chan’s leadership in developing and facilitating CTN studies in Hong Kong. That partnership has contributed to joint study design, patient recruitment and funding, while broadening the populations represented in CTN trials and strengthening the relevance of their findings across different healthcare settings.

It is also creating opportunities for the next generation of investigators, with emerging researchers in Hong Kong increasingly connected to the CTN’s clinical trial community and its wider program of multicentre research.

Building FPM collaboration

Collaboration with the Faculty of Pain Medicine continued to strengthen across the workshop program. FPM Research Network Chair Dr Tim Ho and FPM Vice-Dean Dr Irina Hollington contributed to discussions on the ROCKet trial, while Dr Sarah Lee and Dr Mandy Chu presented research in perioperative analgesia and paediatric pain during the Emerging Investigator Prize session.

The program also featured the K-ADAPT feasibility trial in chronic post-surgical pain with comorbid depression, an update on the LOLIPOP trial, discussion of pain platform research, and a Bayesian re-analysis of pain outcomes from the PADDI trial.

Together, these contributions reflected the growing collaboration between the CTN, FPM Research Committee and FPM Research Network, and a shared focus on developing clinically relevant pain research across the perioperative pathway. Read more about our FPM collaboration in the news article.

Running beyond the program

An optional 5km fun run, led by ARCN Chair Kaitlin Kramer and CTN Executive member Associate Professor Stefan Dieleman, gave delegates an early-morning opportunity to explore the Gold Coast and connect outside the formal workshop program.

The CTN pipeline

The workshop came at an important transition point for the network, with CLIP-II, SNaPP and ITACS recently published and results from further major CTN studies on the horizon.

At the same time, the next wave of CTN research is taking shape through platform-ready, adaptive, observational and implementation-focused studies, alongside a strong pipeline of new investigator-led proposals.

With the 2026–2029 CTN Strategic Plan now under way, the workshop provided an opportunity to reflect on the network’s progress, develop new collaborations and help shape the next phase of CTN research.

Consumer and Māori engagement

The ANZCA Clinical Trials Network extended its 2026 Strategic Research Workshop beyond the main venue with a multicentre research meeting co-hosted with Gold Coast University Hospital on Friday 21 August. Bringing together around 70 clinicians, trainees, medical students, research co-ordinators and senior CTN researchers, the meeting showcased research underway at Gold Coast Health and across Queensland, highlighted pathways into clinical research and provided opportunities for emerging investigators to present new ideas, receive feedback and connect with experienced researchers. The meeting reflects the CTN’s commitment to building research capability, supporting the next generation of clinician-researchers and strengthening collaboration across the network.  

The Spring 2026 ANZCA Bulletin features an article, Curiosity key to launching anaesthesia role, sharing first-hand accounts from the next generation of anaesthesia researchers about what sparked their interest in research, their experiences getting started and advice for others looking to get involved.

Thank you

The CTN thanks major sponsor Research Path, exhibitors Spiral Software and Advant, and the ANZCA Foundation for their support of the 2026 workshop.

We also thank our convenors, speakers, AV partner Wallfly, organisers, delegates and members of the CTN community whose contributions made the workshop possible.

We look forward to welcoming the CTN community to Sydney in 2027.