Over 400 leading stroke clinicians, researchers, allied health professionals and people with lived experience from across Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the world will converge on Brisbane this week for the 2026 Australian and New Zealand Stroke Organisation Conference (ANZSOC 2026).
Held from 18-21 August at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, ANZSOC 2026 program will showcase the latest stroke clinical guidelines, cutting-edge research and innovation, advances in primary and secondary prevention, acute care, rehabilitation, digital health and innovations in telemedicine.
ANZSOC 2026 Organising Committee Chair, Dr Andrew Wong, says the 2026 meeting offers a great opportunity for clinicians, researchers, consumers and industry to come together and foster collaborations across disciplines and sectors.
“We are making great progress in stroke care. It is exciting to have ANZSOC return to Brisbane, and with over 60 invited speakers, the conference offers a unique platform to showcase cutting-edge research and innovations that continue to transform interdisciplinary care, stroke prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, recovery and life after stroke”, Dr Wong said.
Professor Dominique Cadilhac, Co-Chair of the Australian Stroke Coalition and President of ANZSO, says one of the unique features of ANZSOC 2026 is the dedicated conference programming delivered, and led by, people with lived expertise of stroke.
“One major advantage of ANZSOC 2026 is that researchers will have the opportunity to test ideas, strengthen study design, and explore meaningful ways to involve people with lived experience through dedicated consultation sessions and workshops.”
“Furthermore, the conference will also feature a new series of plenary presentations, highlighting the latest updates in stroke clinical guidelines, standards and national data infrastructure, up-to-date national stroke statistics, as well as, showcasing our rich interdisciplinary ecosystem as world leaders in advancing stroke care”, Professor Cadilhac added.
Dr Lisa Murphy, CEO of Stroke Foundation, welcomed ANZSOC 2026, and emphasised scientific meetings such as these are vital for the 440,000 Australian survivors of stroke of all ages currently living in Australia, as well as their families and caregivers.
“Every 11 minutes someone in Australia experiences a stroke. Stroke remains one of Australia’s leading causes of disability and mortality, and conferences like ANZSOC 2026 help ensure researchers, clinicians and people with lived experience of stroke can come together to share the latest development and translate it into practice to improve stroke care outcomes for all impacted by stroke, wherever they live,” Dr Murphy said.
ANSZOC 2026 keynote speakers include:
- Professor Gert Kwakkel (Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Netherlands)
- Professor Lara Boyd (University of British Columbia, Canada)
- Professor William Whiteley (University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom)
- Professor Bruce Campbell (University of Melbourne, Australia).
ANZSOC 2026 acknowledges the following conference sponsors and exhibitors:
Silver Sponsors: Angels Initiative & Heart Bug.
Bronze Sponsor: Metalyse -Boehringer Ingelheim, NicoLab, Abbott Medical.
Symposia Sponsor: Chiesi.
Pre-Conference Workshop Sponsors: SOZO Australia, RapidAI & Boehringer Ingelheim.
Exhibitors: AstraZeneca, OPC Health & Orthopaedic Appliances, Banksia Tech, EM Vision, The Florey
Institute /Australian Stroke Clinical Registry, Seating Matters, RapidAI, Stroke Foundation,
SOZO Australia, Metalyse – Boehringer Ingelheim, NicoLab, Abbott Medical, Angels
Initiative, Heart Bug, AIMedical International, Evomed (Gloup), Australian Stroke Alliance & Siemens Healthcare.
