The ASCIA Annual Basten Oration was initiated in 2006 by Dr Karl Baumgart (ASCIA President 2004-2006). Dr Baumgart presented Professor Antony Basten AO with his portrait at the ASCIA 2006 Gala Dinner, after the inaugural Basten Oration, which was presented by Professor Basten. Presenters of the Basten Oration since 2007 are listed below.

The Basten Oration has been held at each ASCIA Annual Conference since 2006, in recognition of Professor Basten's:

• Pioneering work in clinical immunology and allergy for more than 40 years.
• Immense contribution as the Chairman of the successful World Allergy Congress, held in Sydney in the year 2000. 
• Important role as the first and founding President of ASCIA (1990-1992).

Basten Oration 2007-2024

2024: Adelaide, South Australia  

Professor Michael Gold

Sinking or swimming? An immunological journey from Africa to Australia

2023: Sydney, New South Wales

Professor Connie Katelaris AM

ASCIA President 1994-1996

One Career in Clinical Immunology and Allergy  

2022: Melbourne, Victoria - Hybrid 

Dr David Hill

How a Social Worker, a Botanist and the NASA Space Program influenced the development of the Melbourne Food Allergy Program

2021: Virtual

Dr Katie Allen MP 

A Journey from Benchside to Bedside, and Population to Politics - Why would you do it? 
 

2019: Perth, Western Australia

Clinical Associate Professor Richard Loh OAM

2018: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Dr Raymond Mullins

2017: Auckland, New Zealand

Dr Penny Fitzharris

The Changing Faces of Clinical Immunology and Allergy 

2016: Gold Coast, Queensland

Dr Graham Solley

Early Advances in IgE Antibody and Eosinophil Function 
   

2015: Adelaide, South Australia

Professor Robert Heddle

ASCIA President 1996-1998

Insect Venom Allergy: Important Lessons from Local Oddities  
 

2014: Melbourne, Victoria

Professor James McCluskey

T Cell Recognition of Vitamin Metabolites 
    

2013: Perth, Western Australia

Professor Susan Prescott

Allergy and the NCD Pandemic - The Canary in the Coal Mine 

 2012: Wellington, New Zealand

Professor Innes Asher ONZM

A Global Perspective on Allergy - Are there Targets for Prevention?   

2011: Sydney, New South Wales

Professor Paul Gatenby AM

Nature and Nurture - The Pathogenesis of Systemic Vasculitis
 

2010: Gold Coast, Queensland

Professor John Upham

Changing the Trajectory of Allergic Respiratory Disease
    

2009: Adelaide, South Australia

Professor Heddy Zola

Monoclonal Antibodies and Flow Cytometry - Techniques made for each other, and for Clinical Immunology   

2008: Melbourne, Victoria

Professor Robyn O’Hehir AO

Treating Allergy - Any Progress? Twenty Years of Translational Research in Allergy 
  

2007: Fremantle, Western Australia

Professor Patrick Holt

Heterogeneity in Response Phenotypes in Atopy - Insight from Studies

In 2023 the Basten Oration was presented by Professor Connie Katelaris AM, chaired by Associate Professor Ron Walls AM (ASCIA President 1998-2000,) and attended by Professor Basten AO, who are all past ASCIA Presidents, as listed at https://www.allergy.org.au/members/ascia-past-presidents

 Content updated September 2024

Since 2006, ASCIA Conference poster abstracts have been published in the online Internal Medicine Journal (IMJ) and are available open access via the weblinks listed below:

ASCIA 2024 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14455994/2024/54/S4

ASCIA 2023 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14455994/2023/53/S3

ASCIA 2022 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14455994/2022/52/S5

ASCIA 2009: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14455994/2009/39/s5

ASCIA 2008: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14455994/2008/38/s6

ASCIA 2007: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14455994/2007/37/s5

ASCIA 2006: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14455994/2006/36/s6  

ASCIA is committed to providing online meetings to facilitate continuing professional development (CPD),  educational opportunities and interactions for its members. ASCIA Associate members (Advanced Trainees, Nurses and Dietitians) regularly meet by videoconference, which is facilitated by ASCIA and contributes to CPD. 

Monthly TAPID Zoom meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month to review and discuss complex transplantation and primary immunodeficiency (PID) cases, which also contributes to CPD.

SInce 2023 ASCIA has expanded its CPD opportunities for ASCIA members, by facilitating more clinical case review groups for clinical immunology/allergy specialists and immunology/allergy advanced trainees:

• Paediatric Immunology and Allergy Interest Group (PIAIG) meetings are chaired by Dr Shruti Swamy and Dr Isabelle Bosi and held on the  4^th Monday of each month at 2.30pm AEST/3.30pm ADST, except for January and December. The schedule for 2025 is shown below.  This group has been operating for over ten years, and there are currently around 100 participants. 
• Adult Immunology and Allergy Interest Group (AIAIG) - this new group will be based on the successful format of PIAIG meetings and will commence in February 2025.

A Case Discussion Form needs to be completed for every deidentified case to be discussed. More details about cases may be presented using slides.

PIAIG AIAIG Case Discussion Form89.31 KB

The main objective of the ASCIA PIAIG meetings is to enable complex immunology and allergy cases to be peer reviewed and discussed in a confidential expert forum.  ASCIA facilitates  these meetings in a similar way to the monthly TAPID meetings.

Paediatric Immunology and Allergy Interest Group (PIAIG) Meetings 2025:

• 24/02/25 (3:30pm AEDT)
• 24/03/25 (3:30pm ADST)
• 28/04/25 (2:30pm AEST)
• 26/05/25 (2:30pm AEST)
• 23/06/25 (2:30pm AEST)
• 28/07/25 (2:30pm AEST)
• 25/08/25 (2:30pm AEST)
• 22/09/25 (2:30pm AEST)
• 27/10/25 (3:30pm ADST)
• 24/11/25 (3:30pm ADST)

Case discussion meetings are an important source of CPD. The Medical Board of Australia and the Medical Council of New Zealand have strengthened recertification requirements for medical practitioners, who will each need a CPD Home from January 2023, and must now log 50 hours of CPD annually from a range of activities:

• RACP Fellows can access Information about the RACP MyCPD program here. 
• RACGP Fellows can access information about  the RACGP CPD program here.
• Rural and remote medical practitioners can access information from ACCRM here.  

Content updated December 2024

ASCIA Educational Dinner Meeting Sponsorship

ASCIA is a not-for-profit professional medical society and the peak professional body for clinical immunology/allergy specialists in Australia and New Zealand.  The main educational event for ASCIA members is the ASCIA Annual Conference, which is usually held in September, with locations rotating between Australian states and New Zealand on approximately a six year cycle.

In addition, there are more regular educational dinner meetings for ASCIA members which are organised by local ASCIA area representatives.  By bringing together health professionals from public and private practice, ASCIA educational dinner meetings are an opportunity for collaboration and inter-professional education.

Details are as follows:

• ASCIA educational dinner meetings are regularly held in most regions, and all ASCIA members in that region are invited. Approximately 30-50 ASCIA members attend each meeting. Frequency of meetings varies between regions.
• The program for each meeting includes at least one hour of educational content, consisting of presentations as well as time for questions and answers. The program is determined by the ASCIA area representative in consultation with local ASCIA members, and covers a range of topics related to allergic diseases, immunodeficiency and autoimmune diseases. Topics covered also depend on the availability of the speakers who volunteer their time.
• To support one of the ASCIA regional educational dinner meetings, we request that organisations consider sponsorship of approximately $80-$100 + GST per person.
• Sponsors need to book and pay the venue directly for the meeting costs. The cost of each meeting varies slightly depending on the number of ASCIA members who are able to attend, the audiovisual costs and the catering costs of the venue.
• The meeting sponsor may provide a brief introduction presentation (up to two minutes) at the start of the meeting. This is not possible if there are multiple sponsors.
• Sponsors may have table displays and banners but this depends on the size of the venue.
• Sponsorship of these meetings is not included in the ASCIA Conference sponsorship categories, as they are regional specific events.
• ASCIA is not influenced by commercial organisations on the content of its meetings, educational programs and website. ASCIA also does not endorse or promote any products or services.
• Special events such as the ASCIA WA Immunology Day are also held each year, usually in November, which involves sponsorship from several organisations.

CURRENT ASCIA AREA REPRESENTATIVES

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for contact details of current ASCIA area representatives.

Webpage updated October 2024