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Announcement


AMWA committee member, Cam Simpson is taking a turn under the spotlight.

Cam is a freelancer for clients that need a writer with experience in medical research and medical communication. This includes grant applications, clinical trial development, ethics approval, pharmaceutical product pipelines and journal article publication.

Read about the chance request that changed the trajectory of his career, and his simple, yet powerful advice for his fellow medical writers. …


Congratulations to Nicole Vassileff, winner of the AMWA Early Career Award for 2026! 

Nicole's submission, When the Eye Learns to Grow Back, made a significant impression on the judging panel:


"I learnt something about a topic I previously knew nothing about – the complex scientific information was presented in an accessible, informative and interesting way."

  "I really enjoyed reading this piece from start to finish. It is clear that the writer has a talent for producing scientific writing that is both clear and engaging. I hope they continue to bring these skills to the field of medical and health communication—Australia needs more writers like them."
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If you have recently joined AMWA, you are invited to join Michael and Cam from AMWA's executive committee for a relaxed online networking session. The group will discuss the various benefits of membership, upcoming events, our paths to becoming medical writers and anything else you would like to talk about. Attendee numbers will be limited, so get in quick!

We look forward to seeing you online. …


AMWA past president, Justin Coleman, is looking forward to hosting our next networking event in Brisbane. We encourage all local members to come along to Felons Brewing Co. and meet fellow medical writers ahead of the September conference.

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Entries are now open for this year's AMWA Early Career Award! The award is open to AMWA members with fewer than two years' of medical writing experience.

This could be your year! Previous awards have been won by applicants who were hesitant to apply. You have nothing to lose!  

If you have previously submitted an entry but missed out on the win, we encourage you to try again as there have been many entries that have only narrowly missed out on the win!


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Come and be part of our first networking event of 2026, hosted by AMWA committee member, Ciara Duffy. The event is free-of-charge to all, with some nibbles provided by AMWA. Non-members are welcome! …


Tracey combines her two passions, health and writing, with roles as a freelance journalist at a national pharmacy publication and content writer for a major supplement company. Read more about Tracey, and the advice she has for other medical writers. …


This month we turn the spotlight on Ciara Duffy, senior medical writer with Envision Pharma Group. Read about the highlights and challenges of Ciara’s medical writing career, and what prompted her to become an AMWA committee member. …


Meet AMWA member, Lynnette Hoffman. Lynnette has been an AMWA member since 2020 and is currently the managing editor at Healthed. Find out more about Lynnette, her medical writing journey and how she overcame her greatest challenge. …

AMWA Webinar 3 - Recording now available

AMWA Webinar 3 - Recording now available

The third in the AMWA webinar series, 'The Value and Challenges of Good Scientific Comms' was very well received by those who attended, with many commenting on how much they enjoyed the Q&A session at the conclusion of the presentation. We'd like to extend our thanks to Jen Novakovich for giving of her time to present the webinar.

A full recording of the webinar is now available in the member area of the AMWA website.

If you would like to access this, along with recordings of previous webinars and many other member benefits, you can apply to become an AMWA member.


AMWA is pleased to bring you yet another member discount, from RK Statistics Ltd. AMWA members receive a 30% discount on training courses! Log in to the Member Area of the website for the registration code. …


Congratulations to Halimat Atanda, winner of the 2025 AMWA Early Career Award. 

The judging panel was impressed by the quality of her submission, 'Methylation Simplified'. One judge commented, “This was a thoroughly enjoyable and highly engaging read. The writer made excellent use of literary devices to explain complex concepts. The flow was good and it was written at an appropriate level for the intended audience.” …


Registration for AMWA's 2025 conference is now open! Early-bird pricing is available until 5 September, so register quickly to take advantage of the great discount.

Workshop spaces, and the coveted conference dinner tickets are limited. Another reason to register now!

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Join host Erin Hackett for another of our popular AMWA networking events. Enjoy the relaxed, casual networking and socialising, catching up with familiar faces and welcoming some of AMWA's newest members. The event is free-of-charge, with a drink and some nibbles provided by AMWA.

Non-members are always welcome at networking events, so feel free to circulate the details to your network, along with the link to register. …


Join us at 11.00am AEST (1.00pm NZST) on Tuesday 12 August for the second in AMWA's 2025 webinar series.

Host Greg Taylor, of Copyright Agency, brings us 'Copyright and Using Literature in Your Business'

This webinar will provide valuable information on copyright, and how to safely use literature in your business.

Copyright errors can be costly, so register now!  …


Neena is a Sydney-based freelance foreign correspondent with a focus on health and disability issues. Read about how her own lived experience has driven and shaped her career, and how a unique piece of writing helped facilitate policy change. …


Join hosts Sally Bathgate and Serina Stretton for some casual, relaxed networking and socialising. The event is free-of-charge, with a drink and some nibbles being covered by AMWA. Non-AMWA members are welcome, so spread the word to your network, along with the link to register their attendance. …


Join us on Wednesday, April 2, at 1:00PM AEST, for the first of our webinars for 2025. Prof. Virginia Barbour and Prof. Jennifer Byrne bring us 'Navigating Unethical Publishing Practices: Predatory Journals and Paper Mills'. 

This webinar will provide valuable insights and strategies to help you identify and avoid unethical practices in the publishing industry.

Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your knowledge and protect your work! …


Join AMWA Secretary, Sophia Auld, for some casual, relaxed networking and socialising in Noosa. Non-members of AMWA are also welcome! 
We hope to see you on Saturday, April 2, 4:30-7:00pm, at Beach Road By 4 Pines, 81 Noosa Drive Cnr. 
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Come and join us in Auckland for our first Networking Event of 2025, being held on Thursday 20 March at Brew on Quay, Downtown Auckland, from 5:00-7:00pm. Everyone is welcome! …


This could be your year! Entries for the 2025 AMWA Early Career Award are now open. Every year we are amazed at the quality of the entries received, making judging a very difficult task. If you have previously submitted an entry but missed out on the win, we encourage you to try again as there have been many entries that have been deserving of a win! …


Erin Hackett is under the AMWA spotlight for December. Erin works as a freelance content and SEO copywriter specialising in corporate, technical, and medical communications. Read about how her nursing background, passion for creative writing, and maternity leave led her to where she is today! …

AMWA Conference 2024

The AMWA Conference 2024 was a huge success. Keep an eye out for a round-up of the day, plus some photos, coming soon!


There's one week to go until the AMWA 2024 Conference. You are able to register up to, and including, the day of the conference, so there's plenty of time to register if you haven't done so already. We're looking forward to reestablishing connections with friends and colleagues, and having the opportunity to make new ones and form some great new working relationships. …


It gives us great pleasure to announce that the winner of the 2024 AMWA Early Career Award is Alexa Arganda. Her article entitled "Mind over matter? Exploring the impact of childhood trauma on the developing brain" stood out to this year’s judges for its insightful overview of a complex and sensitive topic.


We hope you’ll join us in congratulating her and look forward to seeing what her future career will bring.

Read Alexa's winning article here.
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Make a note in your calendar! Registration opens for AMWA 2024 on Monday 24 June. This year all workshops are included in your registration fee!
A near-final conference programme as well as registration details can be found here. …

AMWA 2024 - Keynote Speaker Announced! DR BRAD McKAY

AMWA 2024 - Keynote Speaker Announced! DR BRAD McKAY

Dr McKay is a respected medical practitioner, media personality, and author. He is perhaps best known for hosting “Embarrassing Bodies Down Under” and his regular media contributions, and is a leading voice for evidence-based medicine in healthcare and wellness. Do join us for what promises to be an enlightening and engaging start to the conference!

SAVE THE DATE! AMWA Conference 2024

SAVE THE DATE! AMWA Conference 2024

Don't delay...add this to your calendar today! Exciting details about speakers and workshops will be following soon.


Meet Sophia! She was a physio for 30 years before making the transition to medical writing, and now focusses on writing marketing and educational materials for health, medical and health tech businesses and organisations. Find out more about what prompted the career change, how she went about it, and what her days look like now! …


Michael gained his PhD at Otago University and then secured a postdoctoral research position at the University of Oxford. He is currently working as Scientific Director in the Melbourne office of Oxford PharmaGenesis, working remotely from New Zealand. His role mainly involves overseeing strategy and content development for scientific publications across several client accounts.
He shares more about his journey, and some very wise insights and words of advice, on our Member Spotlight page. …


Meet Lesley Cunliffe. Lesley is a freelance Medical Copywriter and Creative Director, working mainly in pharmaceutical advertising. She is also a new member of the AMWA Executive Committee. …

AMWA 2023 - Making a Difference

AMWA 2023 - Making a Difference

What an incredible two days we had! Watch this space for photos and all the details from #AMWA 2023!


It's not too late! Conference registration is still open!

General registration is available up to the day, and you can even register on-site during the event. We'd love to see you there.

Dinner registrations have closed, but come and join us for the Networking Event on 24 August from 6.00-8.00pm at The Red Room, SkyCity. …


Due to high demand the early-bird pricing for AMWA 2023 has been extended until Sunday 6 August!

Take advantage of these great discounts and REGISTER NOW for what will be a fabulous two days of networking, workshops and speakers, including our keynote speaker, Dr Siouxsie Wiles. …


We are thrilled to announce Amy Kelly as the winner of the AMWA Early Career Award for 2023. Amy's article is titled, "Friend or foe? How bacteria in the uterus may influence IVF outcome", and impressed all our judges, including guest judge, Blair Hesp, Managing Director at Kainic Medical Communications and members of the AMWA committee. 


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We are thrilled to announce that Dr Siouxsie Wiles will be the Keynote Speaker at AMWA 2023! An unmissable opportunity to hear from this award-winning microbiologist and science communicator.
Registrations will be opening soon!
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AMWA Conference 2023

AMWA Conference 2023

The venue for the AMWA annual conference in Auckland (Thursday 24 - Saturday 26 August) has been confirmed! It will be held at The Grand by SkyCity. The theme of the conference is 'Making a Difference'. Watch this space for exciting conference updates.


You are invited to hear from Dr Ben Bravery, the author of 'The Patient Doctor', on Thursday 9 February 2023 from 6pm - 8pm. This event is hosted by the Australasian Medical Writers' Association and is open to all.

Ben will be talking about his experience as a cancer patient, and how this has impacted how he now interacts with the healthcare system as a doctor. Ben is a strong advocate for putting the patient at the heart of healthcare. This event will also be an opportunity to network and socialise with medical writers. …

Save the Date - AMWA Conference 2022

Thursday 22nd - Saturday 24 September, 2022 in Sydney

Stay tuned for more details coming soon!

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Member Spotlight - Cam Simpson

AMWA committee member, Cam Simpson is taking a turn under the spotlight.

Cam is a freelancer for clients that need a writer with experience in medical research and medical communication. This includes grant applications, clinical trial development, ethics approval, pharmaceutical product pipelines and journal article publication.

Read about the chance request that changed the trajectory of his career, and his simple, yet powerful advice for his fellow medical writers.

Read more Read more