Assbi
Student events

ASSBI Student Events

The student ambassador teams have continued to organise several ASSBI student events throughout the year all around Australia!

Keep an eye-out for upcoming events hosted by ASSBI student teams in your region via ASSBI social media pages!

For any student enquiries please email nicole.feast@research.uwa.edu.au

You can read more about the student events below:

Melbourne Team

Behind the Scenes: How Multidisciplinary Teams Work in Neuro Care

The Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment (ASSBI) Melbourne Student Committee and Monash Clinical Neuropsychology Society (MCNS) are thrilled to invite you to an exciting panel event exploring how allied health professionals work together to support people with brain injuries and neurological conditions.

You’ll hear directly from professionals in neuropsychology, occupational therapy, speech pathology, physiotherapy, and social work about their roles and how they collaborate in multidisciplinary teams.

Date: Wednesday 20th August 2025
Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Location: Monash University Caulfield Campus, HB36 Lecture Theatre (hybrid format – attend in person for the full experience, or join online)

Why come in person?
In-person attendees can freely interact with the panel and other students, enjoy the atmosphere, and go into the running to win one of several exciting door prizes!

Who is invited?
Students from all universities and disciplines with an interest in brain injury, neurorehabilitation, or allied health teamwork — whether you’re just starting your degree or almost graduating.

Whether you’re an allied health, psychology, medicine, or related discipline student, this is a great chance to understand how MDTs operate and where neuropsychology fits within the broader healthcare team.

Register here

Wellington Team

Perspectives on Aroreretini | ADHD: A Panel Event

Join us on August 20 at 6:00pm for an insightful discussion on ADHD (Aroreretini) from a range of expert voices. Whether you're a parent, educator, clinician, someone with ADHD, or simply interested in learning more, this event is for you!

The panel will explore how ADHD is understood and supported in Aotearoa, including myths and misconceptions, debates in the field, and potential ways forward. We have assembled a panel who represent different areas of research, practice, and lived experience of ADHD.

We will have time for patai (questions) from attendees, followed by time to eat and connect with others. Kai and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.

Location: Alan MacDiarmid Building (AM102-104), Kelburn Parade, Kelburn Campus, Victoria University of Wellington

Time: 6:00– 8:00 pm
Date: 20th August 2025

Agenda

18:00 - 19:00 - Panel Discussion

19:00 - 19:30 - Audience Pātai (Questions)

19:30 - 20:00 - Kōrero and Kai - Food and Beverages provided

Register today!

Canberra Team

Neurons and Networking Event

The Canberra ASSBI Student Ambassador team held a Neurons and Networking event at the University of Canberra on the 16th May, 2025. Health students across Canberra joined together to craft their own clay neurons and have some brilliant discussions about ASSBI. The Canberra ASSBI Student Ambassador team hope to hold another networking event soon!

Newcastle Team

Trivia Night

In October, the Newcastle ASSBI Team hosted an exciting Brain Trivia Night at the Bar on the Hill, at The University of Newcastle, attracting more than 50 students across 8 teams from a range of disciplines including psychology, chemistry, medicine, and more. The event aimed to raise awareness about brain injury in a fun and engaging way.

The trivia night featured three rounds of questions: general knowledge, sports, and pop culture, all designed to challenge participants and spark some friendly competition. To keep things lively, we added three challenge rounds of true/false questions, covering topics such as brain anatomy, medical definitions, and even movie trivia.

The night was a great success, bringing together students from various disciplines to showcase their knowledge of brain science and brain injuries while enjoying a fun, relaxed atmosphere. Students had the chance to bond (and compete!) over interesting questions, share their expertise, and enjoy some great food and conversation. 

Melbourne Team

Free Workshop
ACT for Brain Impairment

The ASSBI Melbourne Student Ambassador team hosted an "ACT for Brain Impairment" Speaker Panel Event on 19 August 2024 (the start of Brain Injury Awareness Week)! This was held at Monash University, Caulfield campus. Approximately 60 students from various universities and disciplines including allied health, medicine and nursing attended the event.

We had the pleasure of having three fantastic speakers with experience using ACT/values-based approaches in both research and clinical practice: Dana Wong, President of ASSBI, Associate Professor and Clinical Neuropsychologist; Reuben Lowe, Mental Health Therapist specialising in ACT and mindfulness-based therapies; and Clare Douglas, Speech Pathologist at the Victorian Neurorehabilitation Network, specialising in acquired brain injury. Our speakers provided valuable insights into using ACT/values based approaches whilst working with people with ABI, and provided interesting and relevant tools and case discussions to show how they integrate these principles into practice.

A huge thank you to our speakers for generously sharing their time and knowledge with us, and to all the students who attended and made this event possible. Well done Melbourne Team (Kimberly Chew, Lara Piccoli, Madeline Gibson) for organising such a wonderful event!

Adelaide Team

Free Workshop
Creative Therapies for Brain Injury Recovery

On August 22nd, 2024, at Flinders City Campus, ASSBI students led a workshop that introduced Adelaide's future practitioners to a fascinating type of therapy that has been growing in importance for those who suffer with brain injury: creative therapies! To help us on our mission, we had licensed art therapists, diversional therapists, and others on board to share their insights and experiences, providing informative presentations on their respective therapies.

Sydney Team

Event Recap – Sydney Lived Experience of Brain Injury Panel

On the 21st of May 2024, the Sydney ASSBI Ambassador team hosted a ‘Lived Experience of Brain Injury: Talk and Q&A’ event at Hermann’s Bar, University of Sydney. The event was attended by students from a variety of disciplines including allied health, neuropsychology, medicine and nursing.

Three guest presenters spoke about their lived experience of a brain injury; Ian Roberts, former Rugby League star & actor who spoke about concussion in sports; and Gabrielle Webster and Jayden Alexanderson both spoke frankly about Traumatic Brain Injury following road accidents, physical and ‘hidden’ injuries, rehabilitation challenges and brain injury advocacy. Following these incredible stories, Dr Melanie Moses (Speech Pathologist), Samantha Grant (Clinical Psychologist) spoke about the role of rehabilitation professionals, and facilitated a thoroughly engaging and fascinating Q&A session.

A huge thanks to the lived experience presenters and clinician speakers at this event. Well done Sydney Team (Kylie Southwell, Alex Manea, Ashna Nadan, and Jasmine Sandilant) for organising such a wonderful event!

Melbourne Team

Event Recap – Melbourne Team Movie Night!

The student movie night took place on 12/04/2024 and provided a casual yet enriching atmosphere for attendees. Networking opportunities allowed students from different disciplines and universities to connect with peers over shared interests. Awakenings, the film chosen for the event, struck a chord with attendees, offering relevance to their experiences in clinical placements. Discussions based on the movie's themes were engaging and thought-provoking. Overall, the evening provided a relaxed setting for students to unwind while also reflecting on their professional journeys.

Well done Melbourne Team (Kim Chew, Maddie Gibson and Lara Piccoli) for organising such a fantastic event!

Student Initiatives at the ASSBI Conference

Representatives from the ASSBI Student Network were involved in several aspects of the planning and delivery of the 47^th Annual Brain Impairment Conference, including a student social and a ‘Meet the Researcher workshop’. 

‘Meet the Researcher’ Event
This lunchtime event, chaired by Sydney Team Leader, Ky Southwell, was a wonderful opportunity for students to speak and connect with leading researchers working across multiple disciplines in brain impairment. There were nine fantastic speakers from across Australia and New Zealand, with research experience spanning topics including enhancing the quality of life, communication skills, social and psychological wellbeing, and outcomes for individuals with neurological disorders. 

A huge thank you to our volunteer speakers for being involved in this event: A/Prof Libby Callaway (Monash University), Dr Lee Cubis (Summer Foundation), Dr Sophie Brassel (University of Sydney), Dr Kate D’Cruz (Summer Foundation), Dr Rachael Rietdijk (University of Sydney), Dr Petra Avramovic (University of Sydney), Dr Josh Faulkner (University of Wellington, NZ), Prof Olivier Piguet (University of Sydney), and Dr Kate Gould (Monash University).

Student Social
We also held a student networking event over drinks at Eve’s bar in Sydney, which was a fun-filled evening for students to interact and foster connections in a casual setting.

Student Volunteers at the Conference
A big thanks to our volunteers from the ASSBI Student Network who travelled from Melbourne, Newcastle and locally in Sydney to help Margaret and Matt with ensuring that the conference ran so smoothly – Kim Chew, Ky Southwell, Emma Gifford, Alex Manea, Ashna Nadan, Jack Towsey, Jasmine Sandilant, and Maddie Gibson.