The RACP Trainee Research Awards Symposium: a hybrid event
Welcome all,
Get ready to be inspired at the 2026 RACP Trainee Research Awards Symposium. Held on Friday, 31 July 2026 from 2.30pm to 6pm AEST, live from 145 Macquarie Street, Sydney and online.
Join us as we celebrate the future of medicine with our RACP Trainee Research Award recipients from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand at this free hybrid event. These outstanding trainees will present their cutting-edge research in adult and paediatric medicine.
Enjoy insights from a special guest speaker, hear from members of the College Research Grants Committee, and don’t miss the excitement as we crown two standout presenters with an extra prize on the day.
Let’s honour innovation, passion, and the next generation of physician researchers.
Speakers
We are incredibly thankful to our wonderful lineup of presenters as follows:
Guest Speaker
Associate Professor Melanie Wyld
MBBS, B.Econ(Hons 1 UM), CFA, MBA, MPH, PhD, FRACP
Renal and Transplant Physician, Department of Renal Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia
Associate Professor in Clinical Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow
Kidney Centre RPA, Level 2, Professor Marie Bashir Building, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Melanie Wyld (B.Econ(Hons) MBBS MBA MPH PhD FRACP) is a transplant nephrologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and an associate professor of clinical epidemiology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney. She received her PhD ‘Health outcomes and cost-effectiveness in kidney disease’ in 2019 from the University of Sydney. She is a clinical researcher with research interests and disparities in access to, and outcomes from, care in kidney disease, and in living donor kidney transplantation She is the Chair of Transplant Society of Australia and New Zealand’s Living Donor Clinical Working Group, Chair of the ANZDATA’s Living Donor Working Group, and past Chair of Australia and New Zealand Society of Nephrology’s Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She is a member of ANZSN SPARC. She also contributes to policy and system-level initiatives as a member of the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation’s Renal Executive Committee and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Chronic Kidney Disease Expert Advisory Group.
Speakers for Adult Medicine Topics
Dr Malcolm Borg (SA)
Endocrinologist (Signal Health), PhD Candidate (Adelaide University)
Dr Malcolm Borg is a consultant endocrinologist at Signal Health, PhD Candidate and Clinical Associate Lecturer at Adelaide University. He completed his medical training in Adelaide, graduating with MBBS and Bachelor of Health & Medical Sciences (Honours), and has since undertaken speciality training within the Central and Northern Adelaide Local Health Networks. Dr Borg is in the second year of his PhD focusing on the metabolic effects of artificial sweeteners in health and diabetes mellitus. He maintains an active clinical and research interest in the therapeutic implications of the gut-nutrient interaction for type 2 diabetes mellitus and the impact of advanced diabetes technology on well-being in type 1 diabetes.
Dr Jonathan Ciofani (NSW/ACT)
Cardiology Advanced Trainee, Royal North Shore Hospital
Jonathan Ciofani is a Cardiology Advanced Trainee at Royal North Shore Hospital and Clinical Lecturer at the University of Sydney. He holds a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Sydney and a Master of Public Health from Imperial College London. His research focuses on the application of Mendelian randomisation to cardiovascular drug development, with a particular interest in aortic stenosis. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed papers in journals including the European Heart Journal, Journal of the American Heart Association, and Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine. He has served as invited faculty at national and international conferences, including Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics in 2025. Jonathan chairs the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand Fellows in Training Committee and serves as Section Editor for Genomics and Precision Medicine at Heart, Lung and Circulation. He will commence a PhD in 2027 focused on medical therapy for aortic stenosis.
Dr Zak Doherty (VIC)
General and Acute Care Medicine Registrar, The Alfred Hospital
Zak is currently a General Medicine Registrar at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Victoria undertaking dual training in Intensive Care & General Medicine. The work presented today is part of his PhD examining the employment outcomes of survivors of critical illness. Zak's primary research interest is linking existing datasets to answer simple questions in a low-cost and efficient way.
Dr Giorgia Hill (TAS)
Basic Physician Trainee Year 3, Royal Hobart Hospital
Giorgia is a third-year Basic Physician Trainee at the Royal Hobart Hospital in Tasmania and aspiring cardiologist. Giorgia is passionate about research and quality improvement and looks forward to sharing outcomes from the implementation of streamlined STEMI systems of care in Tasmania.
Dr Angus Lane (QLD)
Chief Medical Registrar, The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
Dr Angus Lane is an infectious diseases and internal medicine advanced trainee at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, and is the Chief Medical Registrar for 2026. His academic interests include non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease, invasive fungal infections, and medical education. Angus recently returned from the San Raffaele Institute in Milan, where he explored the role of genomics in mycobacterial diagnosis and contact tracing. He brings a patient centred approach to his clinical work, is passionate about equitable care, and is committed to improving outcomes for marginalised populations and priority treatment groups.
Dr Shilpan Patel (ANZ)
Neurology Clinical fellow/registrar, Queens Square, London
Shilpan is a final year Neurology trainee with a keen interest in both academic and clinical neurology. He is currently completing a clinical ANZAN fellowship in Queen Square London, and has a particular sub-speciality interest in Neurogenetics.
Dr Harsimran Singh (NT)
General Medicine Registrar, Royal Adelaide Hospital
Dr Harsimran Singh is a dual advanced trainee in General Medicine and Infectious Diseases, currently working at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He is also completing a Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at the James Cook University. He spent the last two years working at the Royal Darwin Hospital in Infectious Diseases and has developed an interest in tropical medicine, including non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections and, the topic of his paper, melioidosis.
Dr Ghassan Zammar (WA)
Clinical Haematologist, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
Dr Ghassan Zammar is a Perth-trained clinical haematologist. He has worked across all major tertiary hospitals in Western Australia, gaining extensive experience in the diagnosis and management of both malignant and non-malignant blood disorders. Dr Zammar completed his specialist haematology training and fellowship in 2025 with Blood Cancer Research WA (BCRWA), where he served as an investigator in over 30 clinical trials, including cutting edge CAR-T cell and targeted antibody therapies. Dr Zammar has published in leading peer-reviewed journals such as Blood, Dr Ghassan Zammar is a Perth-trained clinical haematologist. He has worked across all major tertiary hospitals in Western Australia, gaining extensive experience in the diagnosis and management of both malignant and non-malignant blood disorders.
Dr Zammar completed his specialist haematology training and fellowship in 2025 with Blood Cancer Research WA (BCRWA), where he served as an investigator in over 30 clinical trials, including cutting edge CAR-T cell and targeted antibody therapies.
Dr Zammar has published in leading peer-reviewed journals such as Blood, The British Journal of Haematology, Pathology and Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia. He is a member of the Australasian Leukaemia & Lymphoma Group (ALLG), Australasian Lymphoma Alliance (ALA), Australian Amyloidosis Network (AAN) and WA Myeloma Interest Group (WAMiG).
His clinical interests include haematological malignancies, specialising in the management of myeloma and myeloid cancers. The British Journal of Haematology, Pathology and Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia. He is a member of the Australasian Leukaemia & Lymphoma Group (ALLG), Australasian Lymphoma Alliance (ALA), Australian Amyloidosis Network (AAN) and WA Myeloma Interest Group (WAMiG). His clinical interests include haematological malignancies, specialising in the management of myeloma and myeloid cancers.
Speakers for Paediatric Medicine Topics
Dr Lana Jephcote (WA)
General Paediatric Fellow, Child and Adolescent Health Service Perth Children's Hospital
Dr Lana Jephcote is a Paediatric Advanced Trainee undertaking dual training in General Paediatrics and Community Child Health. She completed a Bachelor of Biomedical Science in 2012 and a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery in 2016 through the University of Notre Dame. Since beginning her paediatric training in 2018, Dr Jephcote has obtained a Diploma of Child Health (2018), a Master of Public Health (2025) and is currently working towards a Masters of Medicine in Allergic Disease. Her research experience spans both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and she has led and contributed to multiple clinical audits aimed at improving child health outcomes.
Dr Alex Jih (QLD)
Paediatric Advanced Trainee, Gold Coast Health
Alex Jih is a final year general paediatric advanced trainee at Gold Coast University Hospital in Queensland. Her training has taken her across a range of hospitals including Lismore Base Hospital, Tweed Hospital and
Queensland Children’s Hospital, giving her a broad exposure to both regional
and tertiary paediatrics. She served as the Chief Paediatric Registrar at Gold
Coast University Hospital in the first half of 2025, as well as the Local Examination Officer for the RACP Divisional Clinical Examination at GCUH in
2025. Alongside her clinical work, she is a lecturer at the Griffith University School of Medicine and Dentistry and is actively involved in medical education and mentorship of junior doctors. She has a strong interest in respiratory
medicine and chronic disease management in children. Outside of medicine, she enjoys going to the beach and travelling.
Dr Jack Luxford (NSW/ACT)
Advanced Trainee in Paediatric Cardiology, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network
Jack is a final-year Advanced Trainee in Paediatric Cardiology, based at The Children's Hospital at Westmead and Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick. He is enrolled in a PhD through the University of Sydney examining the contemporary epidemiology, management and outcomes of myocarditis in newborns, children and adolescents. His clinical interests include advanced heart failure, transplantation and mechanical circulatory support in children.
Dr Gabriella McCray (SA)
Paediatric Rheumatology Fellow, Sydney Children's Hospital Network
Dr Gabriella McCray is a Paediatric Rheumatology Fellow currently working in the Sydney Children's Hospital Network. She has also been a clinical lecturer at the Adelaide University, previously University of Adelaide, for the last 3 years. She completed her Doctor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne and holds a Graduate Certificate and Diploma in Clinical Education, with a Master of Clinical Education nearing completion. Gabriella has a particular interest in transition care for young people with chronic rheumatic conditions, rural and remote access to specialist paediatric care, and clinical education practice. She has been recognised with several awards including the Women's and Children's Hospital Registrar of the Year and University of Adelaide Fellow of the Year. Her research focuses on standards of care in paediatric rheumatology services across South Australia. She is an active contributor to teaching, mentoring, and medical education leadership.
Dr Jack Turley (VIC)
Neonatal Retrieval Fellow, PIPER, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
Jack is a final-year advanced trainee in neonatology. His research interest is in the ethics of the neonatal ICU. In particular, he is interested in shared decision-making in critical illness, communication and empirical methodology in ethics research. He completed a Master of Bioethics in 2025 and will commence a PhD in 2027.
Agenda
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