International Data Linkage Conference

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

The 2012 International Data Linkage Conference was held last week from 2-4 May at the Perth Convention Centre in Perth.  Hosted by TICHR, UWA, Curtin University and the Department of Health Western Australia, the conference brought international experts, data linkers, practitioners, policy makers, researchers and consumers together to discuss and exchange ideas on data linkage. The three-day conference was attended by over 365 local, national and international delegates and offered an innovative and exciting program combining conference sessions, poster presentations and interactive workshops.

Prof Fiona Stanley gave a keynote address entitled 'From data to wisdom: using total population data and record linkage' and she was also a member of the winning team for the highly entertaining debate on whether all babies should be barcoded at birth for data linkage research!

Many TICHR staff members and students presented on their research involving data linkage and special congratulations must go to Matt Cooper who received the prize for Best Early Career Oral Presentation for his presentation entitled 'Sub-optimal foetal growth is associated with increased risk of childhood-onset epilepsy'.  Emeritus Professor Michael Hobbs, a long-time researcher at the UWA School of Population Health and known as the 'grandfather of data linkage' in Australia, was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Conference Dinner.

Thanks to everyone who was involved in what all must agree was a highly successful conference that showcased the fantastic array of data linkage research conducted both in Australia and abroad.

The presentations from the International Data Linkage Conference held in Perth in May 2012 are now available here.