2026 Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand
9th Annual Scientific MeetingBridging the Rehabilitation Gaps19 - 22 July 2026 | Darwin Convention Centre, Northern Territory

On behalf of Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand (RMSANZ)  and our Organising Committee, we are delighted to invite you to our Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand 9th Annual Scientific Meeting which is being held in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia from the 19 – 22 July 2026.

The theme for the conference is Bridging Rehabilitation Gaps. There are many rehabilitation gaps in domains such as culture, ageing, technology and research. Artificial intelligence is a rapidly evolving field with the potential to leave many of us behind. This conference will explore how we can best harness our resources to optimise outcomes for our patients.

Serendipity has shone kindly upon us and we will have 3 renowned international speakers from Asia who will provide us with exciting presentations and workshops at the cutting edge of Rehabilitation.

• Professor Zaliha Omar is fondly known as the “Mother of Rehabilitation”  in Malaysia and has crossed many cultural domains as well as having special expertise in ageing. She was the sole Rehabilitation Physician in Malaysia and with vision and dedication developed a sustainable infrastructure that has since flourished.
• Professor Nam-Jong Paik comes from South Korea and is an expert in the rapidly evolving field of technology such as virtual reality and transcranial direct current stimulation and how this interfaces with Rehabilitation. He has authored over 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and has a special interest in neuro-rehabilitation.
• Professor Farooq Rathore has a wide breadth of expertise covering AI, research (he has more than 200 publications and is an editorial board member of several journals), disaster management and musculoskeletal medicine. He is an official representative of Pakistan for the ISPRM and Executive Board Member of Asia Oceanian Society of PMR.

The traditional owners of the land that Darwin sits upon are the Larrakia people. Our First Nations people comprise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who occupied Australia tens of thousands  of years before European colonisation. There is an enormously rich and diverse culture which visitors to the Northern Territory will be able to experience. Unfortunately there is a large gap in health outcomes between our Caucasian population and our First Nation people and this will explored further during the conference.

Darwin has a cosmopolitan population with a large number of residents coming from Asia. This is reflected in the local markets such as the world famous Mindil Markets. It is full of hues from the pastel sunset vistas to the local population (please visit the Humpty Doo Hotel!). We are relaxed and friendly – it goes with the tropical lifestyle. There are magical day trips – don’t miss the Yellow Waters Cruises in the Kakadu National Park. And of course there are crocodiles – they can jump!! The weather is beautiful in July which is the dry season. The temperature overnight can get down at times to a chilly (for locals) 15 degrees celsius at night with sunny days (dry season!) with balmy evenings eating at one of the myriad of restaurants that cater for every cuisine.

So please bring your family and partake in an exciting and stimulating conference with the bonus of an opportunity of exploring an ancient culture and country as well as having a great time!

Kind Regards
Dr Howard Flavell
Convenor RMSANZ 2026

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RMSANZ 2026 is endorsed by the
International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM)

 The ISPRM serves as the global agency for Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM). As a non-governmental organization (NGO) in relation with the World Health Organization (WHO), as an international umbrella organization of PRM physicians, and as a catalyst for international PRM research, ISPRM has a humanitarian or civil societal, a professional, and a scientific mandate.

ISPRM thus aims to "continuously improve PRM practice and facilitate PRM input in international health organizations with the goal to contribute to optimal functioning and quality of life of people experiencing disability".