NARI Annual Summit 2026: Honouring the Past, Shaping the Future of Ageing Register now 2026 NARI Annual Summit host, Dr Jacinta Parsons Dr Jacinta Parsons is a broadcaster, writer and public speaker who currently cohosts the Friday Revue with Brian Nankervis and hosts Saturday Mornings on ABC Radio Melbourne. She has published three books: Unseen: the secret world of chronic illness, A Question of Age: Women, ageing and the forever self, and A Wisdom of Age: Lessons on living from our wise elder women. Join us at the 2026 NARI Annual Summit, hosted in collaboration with the Melbourne Ageing Research Collaboration (MARC) and Australian Unity. Discover how ageing research has evolved and where it’s headed through keynotes from Professor Len Gray (University of Queensland) and Professor Andy Philp (Centenary Institute), alongside Professor Keith Hill, Professor Gillian Caughey and Professor Briony Dow. These leading experts will explore the evolution of aged care assessment and reflect on 50 years of progress in dementia research, falls prevention and elder abuse prevention, as well as ongoing efforts to address ageism. Our panel discussion Shaping the Future will focus on what we need to plan for as a society over the next 50 years — including the implications of population ageing, the policy and system changes required, and the kind of society we aspire to create. We’ll also spotlight emerging voices in the sector, with up‑and‑coming researchers sharing fresh ideas and bold visions for the future of ageing. Be part of a day focused on progress, insight and the future of ageing research and care — past, present and future. Keynote speakers Professor Len Gray Professor Len Gray is a senior researcher and Professor in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Queensland where he leads a vibrant research program that focuses on system level improvements within aged care. He is the Australian coordinator for the interRAI international research collaborative, within which he is a board member, the director of international contracts and leader of hospital systems development. Professor Andy Philp Professor Andy Philp is Head of the Healthy Ageing Research program at the University of Technology Sydney, where he leads the Biology of Ageing Laboratory in the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation. Initially trained as an Exercise Physiologist, Dr Philp leads a program of work utilising cell, worm, rodent and human models, aimed at elucidating the molecular control of skeletal muscle growth and wasting disorders such as sarcopenia and frailty. Andy has attained over $90 million AUD in tier 1 grant funding, with his work acknowledged internationally with awards from the BBSRC (UK), American Physiological Society (USA), RANK prize nutrition (UK) and Rebecca Cooper Medical Research Foundation (AUS). Professor Keith Hill Professor Hill is the former inaugural Director of the Monash Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre. He is a physiotherapist and senior researcher with extensive track record across community, hospital and residential care settings. Professor Gillian Caughey Professor Gillian Caughey (BSc Hons, PhD) is a pharmacoepidemiologist with research interests in quality and safety of care in aged care, medicines safety and utilisation focused on the older population with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. She is the Associate Director at the Registry of Senior Australians (ROSA), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute and Adjunct Professor at University of South Australia. Professor Briony Dow Dr Briony Dow is the former Director of the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI), a position that she held for 9 years. She retains an Honorary Fellow role at NARI, and is also Honorary Professor at the University of Melbourne and Deakin University. Briony has extensive experience in a range of research translation relating to older people and aged care, including her specialist research into elder abuse and carer mental health. Mark Dreyfus Mark Dreyfus has been a member of the Australian Parliament since 2007 for the electorate of Isaacs. He served as Attorney-General and Cabinet Secretary in the Gillard, Rudd and Albanese Governments. In November 2025, he was appointed Special Envoy for International Human Rights with a special advocacy role for the abolition of the death penalty, the rights and protections of children, older persons, people living with a disability and LGBTIQ+ individuals. As Attorney-General, he delivered an ambitious reform agenda, including establishing the National Anti-Corruption Commission, creating the Administrative Review Tribunal, making the family law system safer and simpler, and delivering the largest-ever investment in legal assistance. He practised as a solicitor and barrister from 1982 to 2007. In 1999 he was appointed Queen's Counsel. Register now Join us for our 50th Anniversary Celebration - find out more Manage Cookie Preferences