RACS Annual Research Conference 2026
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Overview
Join us at the RACS Annual Research Conference for the latest in surgical research, innovation and education.
The RACS Academic - Surgery Committee invites you to the 2026 Annual Research Conference which will be held from Thursday 12th to Friday 13th November at the Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University, Sydney.
The conference is being organised in partnership with the Association of Academic Surgery (United States) and includes the popular Developing a Career and Skills in Academic Surgery (DCAS) -content. The two-day conference includes sessions of interest to all involved in surgical research from students to fellows.
Day 1 (Thursday 12th November) highlights include the Developing a Career in Academic Surgery (DCAS) program and hot topic talks on academic surgery.
Day 2 (Friday 13th November) highlights a focus on innovation in surgery and the Jepson Lecture.
Download the provisional program and discover what to look forward to (PDF 927.86KB)
Across both days will be multiple abstract sessions for the Surgical Research Society that include both full oral and quick-fire presentations with prizes awarded for the highest ranked presentations.
The faculty includes academic surgeons from the United States, New Zealand and Australia representing multiple specialities. During the meeting there will be opportunities to network and meet leading academic surgeons and researchers.
The RACS Academic Surgery Committee looks forward to seeing you in November at Macquarie.
Latest updates:
- Provisional program (PDF 927.86KB) is out now
- Jepson Lecture speaker announced
- Registrations are now open for this event.
Information about each of the above can be found below.
We look forward to seeing you in Sydney.
Event highlights
Event highlights
- The Jepson Lecture, delivered by Professor Ian Bissett from Aotearoa New Zealand
- Featured speakers include Associate Professor Sarah Aitken, Professor Matt Read, Dr Quinlan Buchlak and Professor John Devaraj, alongside international faculty from the United States.
- Cochlear site visit after day one of the conference
- Professor Zsolt Balogh on avoiding burnout
- Associate Professor Michael Talbot on combining research and innovation in private practice, plus more.
Be part of the future of surgical science. Don’t miss this dynamic event where careers are launched, collaborations begin, and surgical science thrives. Your voice and ideas can help shape the next wave of surgical research priorities.
Register now
Download the provisional program (PDF 927.86KB)
Jepson Lecture
We are delighted to announce that Professor Ian Bissett will deliver the Jepson Lecture at the 2026 RACS Annual Research Conference.
Ian Bissett ONZM is a Professor in Surgery at the University of Auckland and Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at Auckland City Hospital. He spent more than 10 years as a general surgeon working in Nepal from 1987-98, then gained an MD and completed his colorectal fellowship training in 1998-2001, before taking up his present position. He is the past chair of the NZ National Bowel Cancer Working Group and past president of the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and NZ. He has now retired from clinical surgery but continues as the director of the National Intestinal Failure and Rehabilitation Service for Adults. His particular interests include intestinal failure, rectal cancer, gut motility, faecal incontinence and global surgery. He has 250 publications in peer reviewed journals. He and his wife, Jo, have three children and five grandchildren.