ComBio 2026 is coming to Sydney!

Join us at the 23rd ComBio Conference from Tuesday 29 September – Thursday 1 October 2026 at the ICC Sydney.

For more information visit www.combio.org.au

Nominations and applications for the prestigious ANZSCDB Awards for 2026, will be announced at COMBIO2026.

We invite submissions for the following categories:

-The President's Medal

-ANZSCDB Emerging Leader Award

-ANZSCDB Early Career Researcher Awards

-Image Award

-Publication Awards

We encourage all eligible members to apply and to nominate deserving colleagues. These awards not only recognize individual excellence but also highlight the outstanding quality of research within our community.

For more information, please visit the Grants and Awards tabs on our website.

ANZSCDB would like to welcome our new sponsor Zeiss Microscopy! Zeiss microscopes have long supported cutting edge research in cell biology and developmental biology. We are thrilled to have Zeiss backing ANZSCDB awards and activities.

ANZSCDB thanks ATA Scientific for their continued support.

Welcome from the ANZSCDB President

Dear colleagues,

It is with great pleasure that I extend a warm welcome to both our longstanding members and those who have recently joined our dynamic community. As President of the Australian and New Zealand Cell and Developmental Biology Society, I am both honoured and excited to represent the society and its members for the next two years (2026-2027).

I have been a part of the wonderful Australian Cell and Developmental Biology community since 1995, benefiting in countless ways from the structural and cultural support afforded by the ANZSCDB. From travel bursaries and attendance at cutting-edge meetings and workshops financially supported by the ANZSCDB, to unexpected collaborations and long-lasting friendships, my personal research journey has been deeply enriched by the society and its members. This society, just like any good biological system, has self-organised into a well-oiled machine, and I am particularly grateful to previous executives that have shaped who we are as a society today. In particular, I would like to thank the out-going executive of Aleksandra Filipovska, Alexis Diaz Vegas and Jan Manent for their dedication to advancing the discipline over the last 2 years.

Joining me on this new executive are two outstanding representatives of the cell biology and stem cell fields, Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (UNSW) and Robin Hobbs (Uni Adelaide).  You will receive much communication from Vaish as our society secretary, with Robin balancing the books as Treasurer. We are committed to fostering an equitable, inclusive and collaborative environment that encourages the exchange of ideas, the cultivation of new talents and the mentorship of emerging scientists. Please feel free to reach out to any of us with questions, comments or suggestions - we appreciate and value all feedback from the community.

Looking to the year ahead, we have an exciting line-up of events, awards, webinars, conferences and newsletters that will provide opportunities for you to engage with your peers and showcase your research. We encourage everyone to be vocal in your support of our field, having your say in policy matters that affect our community and its ever-evolving research directions.  We remain committed to enabling travel for the exchange of ideas and supporting the next generation of cell and developmental biologists. Specifically, we are working to expand the excellent initiative of the previous executive in forging meaningful ties with similar societies internationally, with reciprocal travel awards as a first priority. We will create an online suggestions box and would love to hear any ideas (small or large!) to enhance our society and its mission.  

Thank you for being a part of this wonderful society and I encourage each of you to spread the word and encourage your colleagues and students to join. I look forward to working together to advance and promote our society’s values and make a lasting impact for our members and our field.

Warm regards,
Edwina McGlinn

PhD Research Awards in Basic Medical Research from the Children’s Medical Research Institute in Sydney. These Awards include a generous top-up scholarship paired with a Research Training Program scholarship for a term of 4 years. See the linked flyer for more details or check out the CMRI website for an application form and instructions.

The Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology exists to promote research and education in cell and developmental biology through the provision of a dynamic framework for collaboration and support. One of Australia's oldest Scientific Societies, the ANZSCDB supports the cell and developmental biology research community across all levels, from students to senior researchers.

In the broader context, the ANZSCDB represents its members on the Australian Academy of Science's National Committee for Cell and Developmental Biology, and is a member of the International Federation for Cell Biology (IFCB); and the International Society of Developmental Biologists (ISDB).

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