Event Recordings

The 2024 Bowen Oliver Oration was presented by Professor Steve Wesselingh - the CEO of the NHMRC and SAHMRI's inaugural Executive Director.

Professor Wesselingh addresses a growing trend of skepticism, distrust and political manipulation of science as well as the consequences of this trend and how it can be addressed.

His presentation brings to an end 10 years of the Bowen Oliver Oration. From 2025 onwards, Bowen’s life and passion for communication will be celebrated by the awarding of The Bowen Oliver Communicator Award at SAHMRI’s annual awards presentation.

This annual Oration celebrates the life of Bowen Oliver, a vibrant young man who was diagnosed with an inherited disorder at age 6. Access to first ever treatment developed by Adelaide researchers permitted Bowen to pursue his life and interests with gusto. Bowen was a strong communicator, and believed in the power of communication to change and improve lives and societies.

This year’s Oration is a reflection of that spirit.

This Oration was delivered by Dr Ben Lewis PhD, a Science Writer and Communicator at SAHMRI who shared his insights about effective and engaging science communication.

Thomas Mayo, one of the authors of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, is a Kaurareg Aboriginal and Kalkalgal, Erubamle Torres Strait Islander man.

He is the Deputy Branch Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, Chairperson of the Northern Territory Indigenous Labour Network, and advisor to the Diversity Council of Australia and From the Heart campaign.

He has written numerous acclaimed essays, articles and books including The Voice to Parliament Handbook; all the details you need, co-authored with Kerry O’Brien.

Thomas shared his thoughts about why enshrining a Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution is a vital step towards achieving Reconciliation.

SAHMRI's retiring Lifelong Health Theme Co-Leader, Professor Chris Proud, delivers a very special retrospective presentation on his career and work.

In a career spanning more than 40 years, Chris laid some of the fundamental groundwork for understanding insulin cell signalling. He filled in major gaps in our understanding of protein kinase signalling and overturned established ideas that were wrong.

This presentation however is about so much more than just Chris's science. Chris shares the twists and turns of his scientific career, how research and knowledge have changed, the characters he met and stories he's been part of and the lessons he's learned along the journey.

SAHMRI’s Media Production Officer and award-winning podcaster Callum MacPherson delivered the 2022 Bowen Oliver Oration, sharing what inspired him to use his own time and resources to establish and grow his Young Blood – Men’s Mental Health podcast.

The annual Bowen Oliver Oration celebrates the life of a vibrant young man who was diagnosed with an inherited disorder at the age of six. A world-first treatment, developed by Adelaide researchers, enabled Bowen to overcome many of the debilitating effects of the disorder to pursue his life and interests with gusto. Sadly, at the age of 21, Bowen passed away from unexplained causes.

Bowen was a passionate communicator who believed in the power of words to improve lives and communities. The annual Oration is a celebration of that spirit.

They say ‘you are what you eat’. That’s certainly true to an extent, but there are many factors that determine how healthily we age. To celebrate the launch of Bene’s thought-provoking LivingProof photographic exhibition at SAHMRI, hear from three healthy ageing experts, Professor Leonie Heilbronn, Professor Elina Hyppönen and Associate Professor Gillian Caughey, about what their latest research says we should and shouldn’t be doing for the best chance of maintaining a happy and healthy lifestyle well into old age.

Guests & Speakers

We all know that eating well is key to ageing well. But what does it mean to eat well? Professor Geraint Rogers offers his evidence-based insights on the many and varied benefits of a healthy, balanced diet, while Maggie Beer and Rosa Matto share their passion for transforming health and wellbeing in ageing through food within the broader context of food as nutrition, culture and the dining experience. And in an engaging exploration of how we construct our social identities, our families and communities through food, Dr Karen Patterson takes a look at how food helps us to understand what it means to be human.

Guests & Speakers

Listen to a panel of inspiring female researchers from the SAHMRI community as they discuss a range of topics, with a focus on the impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on women in science.

In September 2021, SAHMRI facilitated an online symposium for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Diabetes-related Foot Complications Program. Regional coordinators and staff from South Australia, Central Australia, the Top End of the Northern Territory, the Kimberley region in Western Australia and Far North Queensland and members of the program’s Expert Advisory Committee provided an insight into the program and the progress of the important work to address diabetes-related foot complications for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.