Venue
Stanley Place, South Bank
Join us for Brain Injury Awareness Week: Spotlight on Concussion. Hosted by the Queensland Brain Injury Collaborative (QBIC).
Be part of the conversation that’s changing the future of contact sport.
As part of Brain Injury Awareness Week, the Queensland Brain Institute’s premier research hub for brain injury, QBIC, invites you to a compelling public event highlighting concussion, brain recovery, and the urgent need for innovation in brain injury research.
Discover the game-changing science behind making contact sports safer, today and into the future. Hear from experts on the frontlines of brain research as they explore:
- The hidden risks behind concussion
- What puts athletes at greater risk of long-term injury
- The real-world impact of new safety initiatives
- Future technologies to improve diagnostics and player safety
Date: Monday 18 August 2025
Time: 6.00pm – 9.00pm
Location: Auditorium 1, State Library of Queensland, Stanley Place, South Bank
Cost: $30*
*All proceeds go to concussion research at QBI.
Doors open at 6.00pm. Event commences at 6.30pm and will include an interactive Q&A session. Light refreshments between 8pm-9pm.
Chair
Dr Stephen Townsend
Stephen Townsend is a lecturer in sport sociocultural studies with the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences. He has published widely in academic journals and books, with his most recent publications analysing historical representations on sports concussion in the Australian newspaper press.
Expert Speakers
Trevor Gillmeister
Trevor ‘The Axe’ Gillmeister is a well-known ex rugby league player. A former captain of the Queensland Maroons he also played for the Australian Kangaroos. Currently a defensive coach, he founded ‘Gilly’s Tackling Academy’ after he received a phone call asking him to help “keep the young ones safe while playing football.”
Professor Warwick Bowen
Warwick Bowen is Director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Quantum Biotechnology and leads the Quantum Optics Laboratory at UQ. He is recognised both nationally and internationally for research at the interface of quantum science and nanotechnology. He brings valuable insight into the future of diagnostics and technologies for head injury.
Associate Professor Fatima Nasrallah
Fatima Nasrallah is a neuroscientist with a background in magnetic resonance and interdisciplinary brain research. Her research spans basic and clinical brain research with the overall aim of understanding how the brain functions in health and injury, specifically, developing methods for early diagnosis of primary biomarkers following moderate to severe brain injury and translating these findings.
More details
Parking
Parking is available under State Library and the Queensland Art Gallery, accessible via Stanley Place. A flat fee of $17 per entry, per day. Payment to be made on entry by credit card only (Visa or MasterCard).
Public transport
The State Library of Queensland is very well serviced by public transport. Please visit the TransLink website for specific information regarding the best route from your location.