The Keynote Speakers for the 16th Australasian Viral Hepatitis Conference
Burnet Institute, Australia
Elimination in prisons: where are we now, what are the gaps, what needs to happen next
Thursday 13 August, 9 | 8:30am
Professor Mark Stoové is Head of Public Health at the Burnet Institute where he also and leads Burnet’s Justice Health Research Groups at the Burnet Institute. He is an infectious diseases epidemiologist, harm reduction specialist, and implementation scientist who has researched the transmission and prevention of blood borne viruses and sexually transmitted infections and the health and wellbeing of affected populations for over 25 years.
St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Australia
HCC surveillance: re-engaging people, strengthening systems, preventing avoidable liver cancer
Wednesday12 August | 1:00pm
Professor Jessica Howell MBBS(Hons) FRACP PhD MSc(Epi) PGDip(PH) FGESA is a gastroenterologist/ hepatologist, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow and Head of the Hepatitis B and Liver Cancer research group in the Department of Gastroenterology, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne/ University of Melbourne and Burnet Institute. She is also Chair, Gastroenterology Society of Australia (GESA) Liver Faculty (2023-2027). She combines clinical, basic science and public health expertise in translational research projects in liver cancer and viral hepatitis, focused on marginalized populations. She currently leads several multi-centre studies in liver disease epidemiology, rapid point-of-care diagnostics and biomarker development in viral hepatitis and liver cancer.
Queen Mary University, London, United Kingdom
What's Next in Hepatitis B: New Therapies, Smarter Pathways, Better Access
Friday 14 August | 9:00am
Patrick Kennedy is a Consultant Hepatologist at Barts Health NHS Trust and Professor of Hepatology at Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, QMUL. He has produced novel immunological work redefining disease phase in CHB; the basis for broadening treatment candidacy in HBeAg positive chronic infection. Professor Kennedy is the current Chair of the British Viral Hepatitis Group (BVHG) and former lead for the British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL) special interest group in HBV. He was a member of the WHO guideline development group and the EASL CHB clinical practice guidelines. He provides expert opinion for the United Kingdom Advisory Panel on blood-borne viruses, in addition he is a key opinion leader in viral liver disease and a member of expert advisory panels for early drug development.