Home - 2027 PSANZ

On behalf of the organising committee of the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ), Tosin and I are delighted to be your host for the 37th PSANZ congress, from Sunday the 4th to Wednesday the 7th of April at the Darwin Convention Centre.

Darwin is the northern gateway of Australia, home of the Larrakia people, and is a vibrant regional city where the majority of residents speak two or more languages. The Northern Territory is also home of the incredible, UNESO World Heritage listed Kakadu national park, and of course Uluru, one of the most amazing natural rock formations in the world.

The care of the mother and baby is our enduring focus. Our conference will listen to–and hear the voices of–rural and remote Australia. We will bring strong leadership and representation from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, as well as Māori peoples, integrating their unique perspectives with parents with lived experience.

This conference is grounded in the value of equity: recognising that every mother and baby should have the same access to high-quality perinatal care that supports their physical, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, regardless of their location.

By sharing the knowledge of people from across our region, you will gain insights into how equity is placed at the centre of perinatal care for everybody. Together, we will deepen this understanding for all professionals.

We invite you to join us to re-imagine the future of perinatal care, together.

Co-Chair PSANZ 2027

Associate Professor Cecelia O’Brien is a Maternal Fetal Medicine sub-specialist working in North Queensland. Cecelia grew up in a small rural town in NSW and has always been passionate about rural and remote medicine. Cecelia has completed a PhD in the area of fetal adiposity and growth related to maternal obesity and has a strong ongoing interest in perinatal research. Cecelia co-ordinates the Reproductive Health rotation for Year 5 medical students at James Cook University. Cecelia is actively involved in perinatal education and research. Current research projects include remoteness and obstetric outcomes, Diabetes in pregnancy, Rheumatic heart disease, deep infiltrating endometriosis. I am currently supervising two PhD students and 1 Honours student through James Cook University.

Co-Chair PSANZ 2027

Dr Tosin Popoola is a Senior Lecturer in Nursing with a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington, where he examined the social networks of women who experienced stillbirth. Since 2019, he has lectured across several institutions and researched end‑of‑life, grief, and cultural meanings of death and dying. His recent work explores midwives’ experiences of stillbirth and parents’ experiences of baby loss during COVID‑19 lockdowns. Tosin’s interests span cultural, ethical, sociological, and theoretical perspectives on death, including disenfranchised deaths. He is currently an editor for Nursing Praxis in Aotearoa New Zealand and BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.

The PSANZ 2027 Artwork draws its colour palette from the natural hues of the rocks and cliff faces on Larrakia Country. It features both a long‑neck turtle and a saltwater turtle; animals native to the Top End, symbolising the region’s freshwater and saltwater systems and their associated dreaming stories.

Their eggs represent new life and the shared origin of all beings. In keeping with traditional law, these turtles are not hunted during their mating and nesting seasons, honouring the sacred period of birthing.

The artwork reflects the Gulumoerrgin Seasons, showing how the behaviours of these animals, and our relationships with them are guided by seasonal cycles. It also speaks to how cultural knowledge and ways of being continue to live on Country in Darwin, even as the modern city now surrounds much of Larrakia land. In this way, the design embodies the idea of “Reimagining Perinatal Care” highlighting how to coexist