13A. HIV&AIDS Closing Plenary & Award Ceremony
Tracks
| Wednesday, September 16, 2026 |
| 3:50 PM - 5:20 PM |
| Grand Ballroom 1&2 |
Speaker
HIV&AIDS Conference
Panel Debate: Is an HIV self-test enough to initiate PrEP?
3:50 PM - 4:30 PMBiography
Dr Curtis Chan
Research Associate
Kirby Institute
Panel Moderator
Biography
Curtis is a Research Associate with the HIV Epidemiology and Prevention Program. He is currently working on projects involving behavioural surveillance and administrative data on sexual health behaviours and HIV prevention among men who have sex with men.
Dr Edwina Wright
Senior Specialist
Alfred Health
Against Side: Debate Panelist
3:50 PM - 4:30 PMBiography
Associate Professor Edwina Wright is an infectious disease physician at the Alfred Hospital, Monash Central Clinical School. She is an Honorary Associate Professor at the Peter Doherty Institute and Honorary Principal Fellow at the Burnet Institute. Her research interests include HIV prevention, HIV cure and HIV dementia. Dr Wright was awarded an Order of Australia for her work in HIV Medicine and Research in 2021.
Mr Beau Newham
HIV Testing Lead
National Association of People With HIV Australia (NAPWHA)
Against Side: Debate Panelist
3:50 PM - 4:30 PMBiography
Beau Newham is a dedicated HIV-positive community leader with extensive contributions to HIV advocacy in Australia and Southeast Asia. Beau currently manages NAPWHA's 'HIVtest.au' program, the first national HIV self-testing service in Australia.
He is also passionate about community history, and is the co-founder of the Queer Indonesia Archive - the first community run LGBTIQA+ communtiy archive in South-East Asia and is currently leading 'Tracing our Memories'' a material history review of people with HIV in Australia.
Mr Chris Williams
Program Manager — Emen8
Thorne Harbour Health
Pro Side: Debate Panelist
3:50 PM - 4:30 PMBiography
Chris is co-founder of 'PrEP'D For Change' — Australia's first grassroots PrEP community, supporting people online since 2015. He's spent over a decade in health communications and is now the Program Manager for emen8, a national HIV and sexual health education initiative delivered in partnership between Thorne Harbour Health and ACON.
A/Prof Benjamin Bavinton
Associate Professor
Kirby Institute
Pro Side: Debate Panelist
3:50 PM - 4:30 PMBiography
Benjamin Bavinton has worked in HIV prevention and research for over 15 years in Australia and internationally. He is a research fellow at the Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, focusing on the biomedical, behavioural and epidemiological aspects of HIV prevention among gay and bisexual men in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
Mr Alexis Apostolellis
Chief Executive Officer
ASHM Health
ASHM HIV&AIDS Early Career Awards
4:30 PM - 4:40 PMBiography
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
ASHHNA Awards
4:45 PM - 4:55 PMBiography
Dr Jillian Lau
Infectious Diseases Physician
Doherty Institute
Convenor Reflections
4:55 PM - 5:10 PMBiography
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).
Professor Jason Ong
Director
Melbourne Sexual Health Centre
Convenor Reflections
4:55 PM - 5:10 PMBiography
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.
Ms Jessica Michaels
Deputy CEO
ASHM Health
Closing of 2026 Conference
5:10 PM - 5:20 PMBiography
Jessica Michaels is the Deputy CEO at ASHM. Jessicas work at ASHM includes overseeing the implementation of HIV, sexual health, hepatitis C and hepatitis B workforce development, capacity building, resources, strategies and policies across Australia.
HIV&AIDS Conference
2027 Conference Announcement and Introduction of Convenors
5:10 PM - 5:20 PMBiography
Session Chair
Alexis Apostolellis
Chief Executive Officer
ASHM Health
Mark O'Reilly
Director
East Sydney Doctors