The Graeme Clark Oration - Australia's most prestigious free public science event

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The Graeme Clark Oration celebrates advances in health and medical research that impacts people around the world. It showcases world leaders in health and medical research and initiates a community-wide discussion around exciting developments in convergence science - where the life, physical and engineering sciences come together.

The 2016 Oration

Science and Technology: New Frontiers for Helping People with Mental Illness

Thomas R. Insel, MD

Verily (Google Life Sciences), USA

See Video of Oration

The 2016 Oration

Dr Tom Insel

America’s Top Mental Health Researcher Joined Alphabet's Verily to tackle the big mysteries of mental health.

Watch Video of Oration

The University of Melbourne: proud joint partner of
the 2016 Graeme Clark Oration

Is it possible to diagnose mental illness with a phone?

Tom Insel talks about the future in this story from MIT Technology.

The Graeme Clark Innovation in Schools Award

This year its back, bigger than ever, find out how your school can become a world leader.

More about the Schools Program

2016 Oration

One of our most successful Orations was held on Tuesday 30 August at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Over 1500 people from all areas of science and public heard Dr Insel explain how technology can impact on mental health diagnosis and treatment.

Innovation in Schools Winner

Congratulations to Parkdale Secondary College for an outstanding submission to take out the Graeme Clark Award for Science Innovation in Schools. We received a great response from some of the top schools around Victoria. The judging panel were impressed with the calibre of work but 'Parkdale stood out as an innovator in their approach to Science education'.

World's Science Leaders

The Oration brings to Melbourne some of the worlds greatest science leaders and is attended by local leaders from medical and biomedical research institutes, the academic community, the Australian and Victorian Governments, the philanthropic sector, representatives from the diplomatic corps, business leaders and some of our brightest Year 11 and 12 science students and their teachers.

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My students and Staff greatly enjoyed the Oration and subsequent function. It certainly opened their eyes to some cutting edge Science but also to the esteem and value that such endeavour can bring. It is great to see Scientists being treated like ‘rock-stars’ for a change.

-- Mr Matthew Roberts --

Melbourne High School (2012)

This is just a quick note to say how much I appreciated both the stunning lecture as well as the wonderful dinner where we could also do great networking. Your Convergence Science Network is a major contribution to scientific progress in Melbourne!

-- Professor Richard Cotton --

University of Melbourne (2012)

An event like this draws together politicians, scientists, the full gamut of some of the greatest minds and we sit around after an inspirational talk like tonight and talk about what we can do better.

-- Professor Kathryn North --

Director, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (2013)

Thank you for opening these
wonderful talks up to the general public. It is value for people to know the exciting things happening in science!

-- Survey respondent 2014 --

It is wonderful that as a student of health sciences I can hear such a world-class speaker in my hometown. And for free! Thank you, thank you for organising such an event!

-- Survey respondent 2014 --

Since the inaugural Oration was delivered by Professor Graeme Clark in 2008, the lecture has grown in stature and attracted outstanding orators, making it one of the most prestigious Orations within the Australian scientific lecture calendar.

-- Professor Suzanne Cory AC --

President Australian Academy of Science (2012)

Our Partners

Our Philosophy

We engage with the community to share the rapidly moving developments in health and medical science and technology innovation. In a period when health and medical research is delivering new knowledge and hope for the diagnosis, treatment and cure for many diseases, it is even more important for scientists to engage with the community so that public trust in science and scientists remains strong.

The Graeme Clark Oration performs an important and valuable role in bringing world leaders in health and medical research to Australia to share developments and inspire school students and the population more widely about the new possibilities offered by this research.

Presented by:

The Convergence Science Network is an initiative that promotes an understanding of the rapidly moving developments in convergence science to the community.

Established in 2008, the Convergence Science Network:

Engages with the community to share developments in convergence science and how these advances impact medicine and health care.

Inspires the research community, start-ups, existing businesses, government agencies and schools to take advantage of the opportunities offered by convergence science.

Creates the environment and opportunities for new ideas, knowledge and resources across different science disciplines to come together to improve health.

The University of Melbourne has played a significant role in the development of the world's first multi-channel cochlear implant (bionic ear). It appointed Graeme Clark to the first chair in audiology in Australia, in 1970 and it supported his endeavour to build the bionic ear, including collaborators across several faculties at the University. Professor Clark is a Laureate Professor Emeritus at the University of Melbourne and is located at the Centre for Neural Engineering.

The University of Melbourne is a foundation sponsor of the Graeme Clark Oration, having supported every Oration since 2008. In 2016, the University of Melbourne is partnering with the Convergence Science Network to jointly deliver the Graeme Clark Oration.