OMRI Speaker Series: Medical Ethics Expert Professor Nikolajs Zeps
This event builds on the momentum of OMRI’s inaugural session featuring WA Chief Scientist Professor Sharath Sriram, providing a regular forum for thought leadership, practical insight and sector-wide engagement across Western Australia’s health and medical research and innovation ecosystem.
This event will feature Professor Nikolajs Zeps, a highly respected cancer biologist and leader in clinical research, ethics and health system research governance, in conversation on the future of clinical research and translation in Australia.
The discussion will focus on what it takes to design and deliver high‑quality research projects that are both scientifically robust and operationally efficient. In particular, it will explore how strong clinical research leadership, early and effective engagement with ethics and governance processes, and collaboration across health services, universities and industry can enable research and clinical trials to move from concept to commencement more quickly, while maintaining the highest ethical standards.
The session will also highlight Western Australia’s leadership in research ethics and governance through the WA Health Central Human Research Ethics Committee (Central HREC) - a first‑of‑its‑kind initiative nationally. The Central HREC provides a centralised ethics review and approval model that is transforming how research is assessed across the WA health system.
Drawing on his extensive experience across hospital, university and national research settings, Professor Zeps will reflect on how fit‑for‑purpose ethics and governance frameworks can support innovation, reduce unnecessary delays and enable researchers to focus on delivering research that improves health outcomes for patients and the community.We encourage participation either in person or online. The event will be delivered as a hybrid session, with opportunities for both in‑room and virtual engagement.
Date: 5 May 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: Hybrid - In person at the WA Department of Health and online