Call for Sleep Downunder 2023 proposals – short courses, plenary and symposium sessions

05 April 2023

Sleep DownUnder 2023 is happening 8-11 November at the Adelaide Convention Centre, and we’re back to the full in-person format with a massive five concurrent streams! Selected plenary and symposium sessions will be recorded and made available for purchase through the ASA Learning Centre after the conference, but no sessions will be live streamed. 

Program planning has started, and the Conference Committee needs your help to plan a riveting and relevant four days that will appeal to ASA and ANZSSA members across all the disciplines, craft groups and career stages. 

International speakers
Two international speakers have accepted our invitation to present keynote addresses at Sleep DownUnder 2023, and proposers are welcome to include one of them on session proposals.

Ruth Benca (USA) is the Kate Mills Snider Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Wake Forest University School of Medicine Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. Her research focuses on the interface between sleep and psychiatric disorders across the lifespan, and the role of sleep and sleep disorders on Alzheimer’s disease, with emphasis on insomnia and sleep apnoea. 

Russell Foster (UK) is an internationally renowned circadian neuroscientist. One of Russell's greatest scientific contributions is to the understanding of the biological mechanisms which facilitate mammalian circadian entrainment to light. He is Head of the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology and the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute.

Short courses 
Two short courses are already being planned: 

• a research training day being prepared by the NEST Council, and 
• a short course for advanced dental sleep medicine practitioners. 

There are two remaining short course spots available, and the Education and Conference Committees have selected broad topic areas for these courses based on feedback from last year’s member surveys: 

• the latest in sleep technology and measurement
• psychology for sleep clinicians.

You are welcome to submit a proposal for a different topic if you choose, and it may still be selected depending on the other submissions received.

Plenary and symposium sessions 
Plenary session proposals should focus on topics that appeal broadly across ASA member groups. Symposium sessions may have a more specialised focus. Proposers should consider whether either of the international speakers could make a contribution to their topics and include this in their session proposal. 

A new feature of the 2023 program is a dedicated clinical stream on Saturday 11 November designed to feature advanced clinical symposium sessions suitable for senior clinicians and advanced trainees. Proposers are invited to suggest their symposium for inclusion in this dedicated stream if they consider the topic relevant to that audience. 

Submitting 
Submissions are due by 8.00am AEST on Monday 17 April. 

Please read the instructions on this page before making your submission. There are different template forms for short course and plenary/symposium proposals. You can submit your proposal by clicking on the ‘Submit a session proposal’ button on this page, completing your details and uploading your completed submission form.  

Any questions or problems with making a submission should be directed to [email protected] or by calling 1800 193 405 (Australia freephone) or +64 9 360 1240.