ACEM Clinical Trial Network Workshop:
Program:
0900–1000
Setting Up for Success: Tips and Tricks to Running a Successful Trial (12-minute talks)
Introduction to the session and ACEM CTN – Dr Elyssia Bourke
One size doesn’t fit all: choosing the right trial design – Dr Chris Selman
Study coordination: how to stay sane – Ms Liz Wake
Nothing about us without us: embedding consumer voices in research design – Mr Ethan Bacon & Prof Diana Egerton-Warburton
The trial before the trial: mastering the funding game – Prof Simon Craig
1000–1030
Morning Tea
1030–1145
Clinical Trial “Marketplace”
Here is your chance to ask those ‘in the know’ how they did it. Get advice on your specific trial or just listen to the discussions to learn new things from others – whatever you prefer! You will be free to wander the different stalls during this time.
Stall 1: Ethics & Governance
Dr Fran Kinnear, Dr Gina Watkins, Ms Angela Dean
Learn from clinician researchers with extensive ethics and governance experience as well as experienced research coordinators who have seen and done it all before.
Stall 2: Methodology
Prof Simon Craig, Prof Gerard O’Reilly, Dr Chris Selman
Want to run a clinical trial but not sure which trial design to use? Not even sure how to design a research question? Not sure of the difference between an estimate and an estimand?
Stall 3: Grants
A/Prof Viet Tran, Prof Paul Buntine
Feel like you have more chance winning tattslotto than getting funding for your trial? Find out tips and tricks for increasing your chances of success as well as sources of funding from our expert facilitators.
Stall 4: Research Co-Design & Consumer Input
Mr Ethan Bacon, Prof Diana Egerton-Warburton
Want to ensure that your trial includes patient centred outcomes? Not sure how to find or meaningfully involve consumers?
Stall 5: Day-to-Day Trial Operations
Ms Elizabeth Wake, Dr Thomas Shanahan, Prof Daniel Fatovich
How do you educate staff on the trial, keep up staff morale, recruit to target accrual and ensure your data is high quality?
1145–1230
Panel Discussion: Key Learnings from My Time as a Clinician Researcher
Prof Gerard O’Reilly, Prof Daniel Fatovich, Prof Diana Egerton-Warburton, Ms Elizabeth Wake, Dr Thomas Shanahan
Speaker Biographies
Dr Elyssia Bourke
Emergency Physician | Director of Emergency Medical Research, RMH | Chair, ACEM CTN
Dr Elyssia Bourke is an Emergency Physician at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Grampians Health in Ballarat. She is the Director of Emergency Medical Research at RMH and recently completed a PhD on the management of young people presenting to the ED with behavioural disturbance. Elyssia is Chair of the ACEM Clinical Trials Network and sits on the executive of the PREDICT network and the University of Melbourne’s Department of Critical Care. Her research focuses on clinical trials that build the evidence base for common emergency presentations.
Dr Chris Selman
Biostatistician | Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, MCRI
Dr Chris Selman is a postdoctoral biostatistician at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. He holds a Master of Biostatistics and completed his PhD in 2025, examining analytical methods for ordinal outcomes in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Since joining MCRI’s Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit in 2021, Chris has contributed to the design, planning, and analysis of a range of observational studies and RCTs.
Ms Elizabeth Wake
Trauma Research Coordinator | Gold Coast University Hospital
Elizabeth Wake is an early-career researcher and the Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC) Trauma Research Coordinator at Gold Coast University Hospital. She has led research implementation for patients affected by serious traumatic injuries and served as project coordinator for the FEISTY and FEISTY Junior trials across Queensland and Australia. Elizabeth is currently completing a PhD titled “A multi-phase mixed-methods evaluation of follow-up services for patients who have suffered major traumatic injuries.”
Mr Ethan Bacon
Consumer Investigator | Psychologist
Ethan is a provisional psychologist currently completing a Master’s in Clinical Psychology. As the lead consumer investigator for the iIMPROVE PSP, he collaborates with a dedicated team of researchers to enhance patient care quality, promoting beneficence while discouraging unnecessary procedures. Additionally, he serves as a Teaching Associate at Monash University, where he facilitates the Bachelor of Psychology. His work blends clinical insight, research, and education to advance mental health outcomes.
Prof Diana Egerton-Warburton
Emergency Physician | Monash Health | Conjoint Professor, Monash University
Professor Diana Egerton-Warburton is an Emergency Physician at Monash Health and Conjoint Professor for Emergency Care Research at Monash University. With a passion for patient and climate advocacy, she has led numerous large-scale pragmatic trials focused on reducing unhelpful care. Diana has secured over $14 million in grant funding in the past five years, including a $2.9M MRFF Clinical Trial grant as CIA. She also collaborates with the Monash Design Health Collab, integrating design thinking into healthcare research and innovation.
Prof Simon Craig
Emergency Physician | Researcher | Chair PREDICT network
Professor Simon Craig is a Paediatric Emergency Physician in Melbourne and current Chair of the PREDICT Network. He holds a Master of Health Professional Education and has been actively involved in clinical research, medical education, and trainee mentorship. Simon’s research interests include procedural pain, diagnostic accuracy, and evidence-based practice in paediatric emergency medicine.
Dr Gina Watkins
Emergency Physician | Researcher
Dr Watkins is an experienced emergency physician and researcher. She has been involved with the ACEM CTN since its inception. She has been involved in a range of multi-centre observational and randomised controlled trial work across Australasia.
Ms Angela Dean
Research Coordinator | Royal Melbourne Hospital
Angela Dean is a senior ED nurse and experienced research coordinator based at Royal Melbourne Hospital. She has extensive experience coordinating both observational studies and randomised controlled trials. Angela has contributed to numerous successful ethics and governance submissions, and is highly knowledgeable about the processes required for trial approval and conduct.
Prof Gerard O’Reilly
Consultant Emergency Physician | Head of Epidemiology, NTRI
Professor Gerard O’Reilly is Head of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the National Trauma Research Institute and Consultant Emergency Physician at The Alfred. He leads global health programs and previously completed Masters degrees in Public Health and Biostatistics, followed by a PhD focused on trauma registry development in low- and middle-income countries. Gerard is a passionate educator, mentor, and global advocate for data-driven emergency care.
A/Prof Viet Tran
Emergency Physician | Deputy Director, Royal Hobart Hospital ED
Associate Professor Viet Tran is the Deputy Director of Emergency at Royal Hobart Hospital, founder and director of the TASER (Tasmanian Emergency Medicine Research) Institute, and Chair of the ACEM Research Advisory Committee. His work empowers clinicians, patients, and health system leaders to create meaningful change across all levels of care. Viet is also Chair of the Tasmanian Emergency Departments Network and a frequent mentor to emerging clinician-researchers.
Prof Paul Buntine
Director of Emergency Medicine Research Eastern Health | Adjunct Clinical Professor, Monash University
Professor Paul Buntine is Director of the Eastern Health Institute and an Emergency Physician at Box Hill Hospital. His leadership in research has driven numerous quality improvement projects targeting low-value care. He has secured over $12 million in research and improvement grants, and brings deep insight into the MRFF funding process through his past role as an assessor.
Dr Thomas Shanahan
ED Research Registrar | Royal Perth Hospital
Dr Thomas Shanahan is an ED Research Registrar at Royal Perth Hospital and a prospective ACEM trainee. He previously completed 3.5 years of integrated academic and clinical training in emergency medicine in the UK. Thomas was an Associate Principal Investigator for the RECOVERY trial at Manchester Royal Infirmary, and served as trainee member of the RCEM Research Committee and Research Lead for the UK’s EM Trainees Association. He is currently an Associate Editor for Heliyon Clinical Research and a regular contributor to the Emergency Medicine Journal.
Prof Daniel Fatovich
Senior Emergency Physician | Royal Perth Hospital | Clinical Research Leader
Professor Daniel Fatovich is a clinical researcher and senior emergency physician with over three decades of research experience. He is Head of the Centre for Clinical Research in Emergency Medicine at the Harry Perkins Institute, Director of Research for the East Metropolitan Health Service, and Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Western Australia. He leads the NHMRC-funded Emerging Drugs Network of Australia and is one of the most respected figures in Australian emergency medicine research.
CPD: Educational Activities (EA) – 3.5 hours