Plant Biosecurity Research Symposium returns in 2026 – Join Australia’s leading minds in plant health
The Plant Biosecurity Research Symposium is back in 2026!
On May 12 and 13, the nation’s brightest minds in plant biosecurity will converge at the State Library of Victoria, Melbourne for the Symposium – a high-impact showcase of innovation, research, and collaboration that powers Australia’s plant health future.
Held on the International Day of Plant Health, the 2026 program brings together world-class keynotes, presentations and discussion centred on four critical focus areas – early warning and risk; diagnostics and surveillance; resilient crop protection systems; and readiness and recovery.
Whether you’re a researcher, policymaker, agribusiness professional, grower, or student, this is your chance to be part of the national conversation shaping Australia’s plant biosecurity.
Program highlights
Day one
The 2026 Symposium kicks off with an inspiring keynote presentation from leading disaster recovery and community resilience researcher, Anne Leadbeater OAM.
Anne is a national expert in disaster recovery and community resilience. She has 30 years’ experience working with the community sector and all levels of government to support communities recovering from drought, fire, flood, cyclone and earthquake in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland.
Awarded the Order of Australia medal in 2019 for her services to the community in the aftermath of the 2009 ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires, she also led an international team for the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal for the New Zealand Red Cross in 2014. More recently, Anne co-authored the Australian Disaster Recovery Framework for the Australian Government.
Day two
On day two, Dr Siobhan Banks will deliver a Keynote exploring how human-centred design can support the development, evaluation, and effective workplace adoption of new technologies. Siobhan is Director of the Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre at Adelaide University. She works with 24/7 workplaces to enhance individual and team performance, health, and well-being.
She has delivered research for organisations including the NHMRC, NIH, NASA (via NSBRI), the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Beyond Blue, SA Health, Thales UK, Lockheed Martin Australia, Naval Group Australia, the Defence Innovation Hub, the US Naval Postgraduate School and DSTG.
Siobhan’s accolades include the SA Young Tall Poppy Science Award (2010), the Sleep Research Society Young Investigator Award (2011), the Australian Council Graduate Research Award for Industry Engagement (2019), and a finalist position in the ADM Women in Defence Awards – R&D Category (2021).
Want to be part of the program? Showcase your latest findings and innovations by submitting your abstract for presentation at the 2026 PBRI Symposium.
Abstracts can be submitted under the following themes:
- Early warning and risk
- Diagnostics and surveillance
- Resilient crop protection
- Trans-Tasman biosecurity research
- Readiness and recovery
- Plant biosecurity capability building
Submissions close 5pm AEST, Friday 27 February 2026.
