Research Week - The Great Debate

Day 1 - The Great Debate 

Monday 26 October 2026 

12.30pm - 1.30pm | Lecture Theatre | Hybrid Event 

"The pursuit of breakthrough health innovations should take precedence over ethical, privacy and environmental concerns." 

Join us for a thought-provoking debate exploring one of healthcare’s most pressing questions: how do we balance the drive for innovation with our responsibilities to patients, communities and the environment? 

This engaging session will bring together leading experts from health care, research, law and digital health to debate whether breakthrough innovations should be prioritised, or whether ethical considerations, privacy protections, public trust and sustainability must remain at the forefront of decision-making. Audience polling before and after the debate will capture changing perspectives and reveal how opinions evolve throughout the discussion. 

Host and Adjudicator: Chloe Shorten, Bayside Health Board Director 

Featured Speakers 

Affirmative Team: Advocating that breakthrough healthcare innovation should be prioritised to improve patient outcomes and strengthen health system resilience. 

• Dr Shane Nanayakkara, Interventional Cardiologist and AI Researcher 

• Prof Meng Law, Expert in Advanced Neuroimaging, AI and Precision Diagnostics 

• Prof Victoria Mar, Director of the Victorian Melanoma Service at The Alfred  

Opposing Team: Advocating that innovation must remain grounded in ethics, privacy, public trust and environmental sustainability. 

• A/Prof Zerina Lokmic-Tomkins, Researcher in Climate Adaptation and Sustainable Healthcare Innovation 

• Mr David Ruschena, Legal Counsel, Bayside Health 

• Dr Sudeep Saraf, Chief Digital Health Officer, Bayside Health 

Judging Panel 

• Angela Henjak 

• Chloe Shorten 

• Katrina Lewis 

Don't miss this unique opportunity to hear diverse perspectives, challenge your assumptions and contribute to an important conversation about the future of healthcare.