Biennial National MND Australia Conference

MND CARE - Informing, Influencing, Innovating

The 9th National Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Australia Conference was hosted by the MND Association of South Australia on Friday 31 August 2018 at the Grand Chancellor Hotel, Adelaide.

Background

On Tuesday 21 June 2005 the first National MND Conference was held in Melbourne. Over the next few years the National MND Conference was held annually to coincide with Global MND Day. In 2012 a new model was developed to host a biennial National Conference to alternate with the National Palliative Care Conference.

The aim of the Conference is to promote sharing of expertise and understanding of MND nationally to improve care and support for people living with MND, their carers and family.

It provides an opportunity to promote evidence based and best practice care and to encourage collaboration, coordination and research.

The next national MND Australia Conference on Care will be held in September 2020

CONFERENCE Program

The program for the 9th National MND Australia Conference - MND CARE - Informing, Influencing, Innovating is available here

Over 250 health and community professionals attended the conference to hear from 12 platform presenters and to view poster presentations and trade displays. The program covered a wide range of topics relevant to the care and support of people living with MND from diagnosis through to end of life.

View presentations online here

Keynote speakers

Until there is a cure, there is care - Professor Samar Aoun

Professor Samar Aoun is a palliative care researcher with a public health approach and a focus on under-served population groups such as people with Motor Neurone Disease, Dementia, terminally ill people who live alone and family caregivers before and after bereavement. Samar advocates strongly for a person-centred health and social care. Her work on supporting family caregivers at end of life and the public health approach to bereavement care has informed policy and practice at the national and international levels. Samar is currently the Vice-President of the MND Association in WA and Director on MND Australia Board. She was awarded the Eleanor Mounsher Medal in recognition of outstanding commitment, dedication and service to people living with MND and their families.

Advances in care – Dr Susan Mathers

Dr Susan Mathers is a Consultant Neurologist at Monash Medical Centre, and the Clinical Director of Neurology at Calvary Health Care Bethlehem, Melbourne, which provides neuro-rehabilitative and neuro-palliative services to people with progressive neurological diseases including over 200 people with Motor Neurone Disease. She is a member of the Motor Neurone Disease Research Institute of Australia, the MND Research Tissue Bank and a founding member of the Australian MND Register. Her main interests are in the management of chronic progressive neurological diseases and models of care. She has participated in a number of government sponsored collaborative projects in this area and is currently involved in a project to implement a state-wide integrated care service for people with progressive neurological diseases in Victoria.

Advances in research – Dr Shyuan Ngo

After obtaining her PhD in Neuroscience in 2009, Dr Shyuan Ngo undertook her first postdoctoral training position with Prof Pamela McCombe and Dr Robert Henderson. In 2012, she was awarded a Motor Neurone Disease Research Institute of Australia Bill Gole Fellowship to conduct research in a niche area, which focuses on metabolic imbalance in MND. Dr Ngo has presented her research at a number of national and international meetings, and regularly communicates her research outcomes to the wider community.