ACMD Link | From Pilots to Proof: Building the Evidence for Real-World Adoption

An ACMD Link-CHICC collaboration for health technology innovators, researchers and clinical partners.

Testing a health technology in a real clinical, research or health service setting is one of the most important steps in turning a promising idea into an adoptable solution. It is also one of the hardest to get right.

A well-designed pilot, trial or validation study can generate the evidence needed to demonstrate safety, usability, clinical value, workflow fit and commercial relevance. Poorly scoped activity can consume time and resources without producing evidence that a health service, research partner, regulator, insurer or investor can use.

This practical event brings together health technology innovators, researchers, clinicians and health service partners to explore how to identify the right evidence pathway, structure an effective pilot program and build the relationships needed to move from early testing toward adoption, implementation and scale.

The session will examine the clinical, research, operational and commercial considerations involved in testing and validating health technologies in real-world settings.

This ACMD Link event is delivered in collaboration with CHICC and supported by the Victorian Government.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Thursday 19 November 2026

Time (AEDT):

9:00am: Guest arrival and networking (in-person)

9:45am: Event proceedings (in-person & online)

11:30am: Close

Venue: ACMD, The Brenda Shanahan AO Auditorium (Level 1), 27 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, VIC 3065

Session format: Hybrid delivery with presentations and Q&A

Registration*: Free to attend, but registration is essential

*Registrations will close 9am Wednesday 18 November 2026

Who should attend:

• Health technology innovators, clinicians and researchers

• CXOs, technology leads and product developers

• Healthtech professionals and industry service providers.

MEET OUR SPEAKERS

Dr Dishan Herath, Chief Medical Officer, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Dr Dishan Herath trained as a medical oncologist and nuclear medicine physician and has significant experience in digital health. Dr Herath is the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Peter Mac.

Prior to his CMO appointment, he was Peter Mac’s Acting Executive Director of Digital Health Innovation and was also Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) and the medical lead for the Epic electronic medical record. His clinical area of interest is lung cancer.

Dishan’s clinical research experience includes site principal investigator responsibilities for Phase II and Phase III clinical trials and sub-investigator roles on Phase I, II and III clinical trials. He has publications in the fields of medical oncology, nuclear medicine and artificial intelligence, and has been an examiner for the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

In addition to his roles at Peter Mac, Dishan is the Board Chair of Cancer Trials Australia (CTA) and the Clinical Director of the Western and Central Melbourne Integrated Cancer Services (WCMICS). He was previously the Director of Cancer Services at Western Health.

Dr Paul Eleftheriou, Chief Medical Officer & Hub Lead – Management Assurance and Clinical, Medibank & AHM

Paul is a specialist medical practitioner and the Chief Medical Officer for the Private Health Insurance arm of the Medibank Group, which includes the health delivery subsidiary Amplar Health.

Medibank is Australia’s largest and oldest private insurance provider and is rapidly evolving into one of Australia’s leading health companies as it delivers primary care, preventive health programs, acute care through its hospitals, as well as large virtual, community and aged care services.

Before Medibank, Paul was a Principal at the Nous Group for four years and led their Victorian health practice as well as the digital health practice for the firm. Paul spent over 11 years in Chief Medical Officer roles at Western Health, Austin Health and Epworth Healthcare and is also a Fellow, examiner and previous Board director at the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators.

Paul is a Graduate of AICD, has sat on the MIPS medical indemnity insurance Board since January 2023, is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management and a Research Fellow with the University of Melbourne’s Collaborative Practice Centre.

Dr Ariella Heffernan-Marks, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Ovum

Dr Ariella Heffernan-Marks is the CEO and Founder of Ovum, a pioneering health partner built for women dedicated to transforming women’s healthcare experiences through artificial intelligence.

Dr Heffernan-Marks holds a Doctor of Medicine from Macquarie University and a Bachelor of Science in Reproductive Biology and Embryology. She is currently undertaking a PhD in FemTech and AI from The George Institute for Global Health under Professor Amanda Henry’s supervision, co-supervised by Associate Professor Rebecca Deans (from the Discipline of Women’s Health/School of Clinical Medicine) and Dr Oisin Fitzgerald, from the Centre for Big Data Research in Health.

Dr Heffernan-Marks’ extensive background in medicine, research, and technology, plus her first-hand experience of being dismissed and not believed with her health, drives her mission to address the gender health gap by developing innovative, women-centric health solutions that empower individuals and improve health outcomes for all.

Dr Heffernan-Marks has also been awarded as Best New Founder at the Best in Tecj Awardss by Start Up Daily, Woman in Digital of the Year and AI Leader of the Year 2025 and recently listed by the Australian as top 100 innovator and SMH as a leading female trailblazer.

Zoë Milgrom, Co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer, Eugene

Zoë Milgrom is a genetic counsellor, Fellow of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia, and the Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer of Eugene, a clinical genomics company delivering genetic counselling-led screening programs across Australia, New Zealand and most recently the US.

Over seven years, Zoë has helped grow Eugene from a reproductive carrier screening service into a broader platform spanning fertility and preventative health, giving people access to leading local and international genomic testing supported by virtual genetic counselling.

Zoë’s career spans hospital, research and industry, and her work at Eugene sits at the intersection of clinical care and commercial partnership. She has led collaborations with fertility clinics, obstetric teams, executive health services and insurers, designing pathways that embed genetics into existing clinical workflows and moving programs from early pilots to sustainable, scaled services. Under her clinical leadership, Eugene has supported more than 50,000 people to make informed decisions about their health and fertility.

Michael Krieg, Acting Chief Executive Officer, ACMD

Michael Krieg is an experienced healthcare leader who brings extensive executive experience from the hospital and health services sector, including serving as CEO of Mercy Health Services and leading major hospital operations across Australia.

Michael has a strong track record in clinical leadership, health service management, and building strategic partnerships across clinical, operational and research stakeholders. Outside of ACMD, he has contributed to the broader research and health ecosystem through board roles with the Wesley Research Institute, the Fiona Elsey Clinical Research Institute and as former Board Chair of the Grampians Integrated Cancer Centre.

Important note for attendees:

Please be advised that photographs and videos may be taken by ACMD and ANDHealth staff. By attending this event, you agree to being filmed or photographed, and acknowledge that these may be used for marketing or promotional purposes.

As a condition of complimentary registration, all guests attending this event will be required to complete a short post-event survey. Your feedback supports continuous improvement and helps shape the direction of future industry activities.