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1. HIV&AIDS Opening Plenary

Monday, September 14, 2026
9:00 AM - 10:50 AM
Grand Ballroom 1&2

Speaker

HIV&AIDS Conference

Welcome to Country

9:00 AM - 9:05 AM

Biography

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Dr Jillian Lau
Infectious Diseases Physician
Doherty Institute

Convenor Welcome

9:05 AM - 9:10 AM

Biography

Dr Jillian Lau is an Infectious Diseases physician based in Melbourne, Victoria. She works clinically at Alfred Health and Monash Health and is a postdoctoral research fellow at The Doherty Institute. Her research focuses on HIV cure therapeutic interventions, and the practice of interrupting antiretroviral therapy in HIV cure trials (known as analytical treatment interruptions).
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Professor Jason Ong
Director
Melbourne Sexual Health Centre

Convenor Welcome

9:05 AM - 9:10 AM

Biography

Prof Dr. Jason Ong is an academic sexual health specialist and health economist. He is Director of Melbourne Sexual Health Centre and the Inaugural Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Sexual Health. His research focuses on economic evaluations and demand creation strategies to improve the uptake of HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and management services.
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Prof James McMahon
ID Physician
Alfred Health

ASHM Welcome

9:10 AM - 9:15 AM

Biography

HIV&AIDS Conference

Government Welcome

9:15 AM - 9:20 AM

Biography

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Dr Jason Mitchell
HIV Advisor
Ministry of Health and Medical Services - Fiji

From Emergency to System: Building Fiji’s HIV Response in Real Time

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Biography

Dr Jason Leo Iane Mitchell is a Fijian public health leader working at the intersection of HIV, sexual health, and health systems transformation in the Pacific. With over two decades of experience, his work spans policy development, programme design, and institutional strengthening across national and regional responses. He currently leads Fiji’s HIV epidemic response, bringing together government, communities, and partners to deliver evidence-informed, culturally grounded solutions. Jason’s work is driven by a commitment to equity, dignity, and rethinking sexual health beyond disease control, with a focus on building responsive systems that reflect the realities of Pacific peoples.
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Rachel Rutishauser
University of California, San Francisco

Clinical trial data characterising a promising combination immunotherapy strategy for functional HIV cure

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Biography

Rachel Rutishauser, MD, PhD is an Infectious Disease physician-scientist and Associate Professor in the Division of Experimental Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. The Rutishauser laboratory studies immunologic mechanisms of HIV control.
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Mr Alexis Apostolellis
CEO
ASHM

Levinia Crooks Emerging Leader Award Introduction

10:30 AM - 10:35 AM

Biography

Alexis is the current ASHM CEO and has been since 2018. Alexis started working in the HIV sector in 2000 in South Africa before moving to Australia in 2008. He has remained passionate about public health and the role social enterprise plays in enabling equity, choice and access of healthcare, free of stigma and discrimination, as basic human rights.
HIV&AIDS Conference

Levinia Crooks Emerging Leader Award Presentation

10:35 AM - 10:50 AM

Biography

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