About
The inaugural BRiM Summit will be held in beautiful Perth, Western Australia from September 15-17, 2026. The Summit consolidates international expertise in breast cancer risk management, including risk prediction models, risk-reducing strategies, risk communication, health promotion, and breast screening, to optimize prevention and early detection of breast cancer within asymptomatic women.
The BRiM Summit is an opportunity to pay tribute to the meeting’s origins and the 50th anniversary of the first publication describing the association between mammographic parenchymal patterns and breast cancer risk*. With increasing mandates for breast density reporting within mammographic screening programs, comes increasing demand for a more holistic approach to breast cancer risk management.
Significant advances in AI-applications to medical imaging and other biomarkers provide improved opportunities for cancer detection and risk prediction, which can help identify and target those at highest risk. The focus of the inaugural Summit is, therefore, “Beyond Breast Density” and will showcase both cutting-edge research and clinical guidance for breast cancer risk management.
A significant strength of the BRiM Summit will be the interactive approach to each curated session. In addition to expert presentations, each session will include guidance for clinical practice, panel discussions, case studies, and/or qualitative research methods to provide the most relevant and comprehensive information possible.
*Wolfe JN. Risk for breast cancer development determined by mammographic parenchymal pattern. Cancer. 1976;37(5):2486-92; Wolfe JN. Breast patterns as an index of risk for developing breast cancer. Am J Roentgenol. 1976;126(6):1130-7.
Mission
Our mission is to bring together leading international experts in breast cancer risk management to present high-quality research, inform clinical guidance and drive change in public health policy to improve prevention and early detection of breast cancer within asymptomatic women.
Objective
The objective of the BRiM Summit is to consolidate international expertise to inform clinical- and self-management of breast cancer risk within asymptomatic women. Each session will be interactive and tailored to a specific purpose – from providing fundamental education to a diverse audience, to presentation of the latest innovations in research, and delivering recommendations towards clinical management and policy change.
For the first time since the COVID pandemic, we are conducting the summit in-person only, providing both our registrants and exhibitors optimal opportunity for networking and collaboration. There will be extensive networking opportunities to share experiences and foster new and existing collaborations, including early career development and mentorship opportunities. Together, we will advance novel personalised risk management pathways to improve breast cancer outcomes for all women.
Who should come?
In addition to researchers, clinicians, health professionals, policy makers, industry partners, and consumers who typically attend the Why Study Mammographic Density? Conferences, we strongly encourage primary care professionals and breast specialists to register for the BRiM Summit.
- Researchers, including all levels of academia, from PhD students to senior researchers
- Clinicians, including radiologists, GPs, breast specialists (physicians, surgeons, oncologists) and pathologists
- Allied health professionals, including breast screening service delivery staff (e.g. radiographers) and other primary care providers
- Policy makers, including those working in government health departments and/or breast screening services
- Industry partners, including those who provide services or software that support screening or risk assessment/prediction
- Consumers, including representatives from consumer or community organisations involved in breast cancer risk management
Organising Committee Members
A/Prof Jennifer Stone
Jennifer Stone is a cancer epidemiologist and Cancer Council Western Australia Principal Research Fellow. As Head of the Genetic Epidemiology Group within the School of Population and Global Health at the University of Western Australia, her research aims to improve breast cancer outcomes through early detection and risk-reducing strategies.
She co-founded the Why Study Mammographic Density? Conference in 2010, is an original member of the InforMD alliance, and a Chief Investigator of the MyBrisk Centre for Research Excellence.
Jennifer also established the Australian Breast Density Consumer Advisory Council in 2019 to provide a community perspective on breast density and breast screening research in Australia.
A/Prof Wendy Ingman
Wendy Ingman is a breast health researcher based at the University of Adelaide and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Her multi-disciplinary approach spans biology, clinical and public health research aimed at reducing breast cancer risk associated with mammographic breast density and other risk factors.
Driven by a passion for translating science into impact, Wendy advocates for community education and empowering women to take charge of their breast health. She is the co-founder of InforMD, a national alliance of breast cancer researchers dedicated to raising public awareness and influencing health policy. Wendy collaborates with government agencies, healthcare professionals, and grassroots organisations to bridge the gap between research and real-world outcomes.
A/Professor Kara Britt
Kara Britt leads the Breast Cancer Risk and Prevention Lab at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Her research interests include understanding the mechanisms mediating breast cancer risk and early transformation such that we can develop preventative therapies.
Her work has helped define why women in today’s society have an increased incidence of breast cancer and which cell types should be targeted for therapy development. Her team are now working to develop novel drug targets with the long term aim to reduce breast cancer incidence.
Prof Rik Thompson
Rik Thompson has been researching breast cancer for over 30 years and is currently Professor of Breast Cancer Research at the Queensland University of Technology.
He has developed clinically relevant models to help understand how high breast density contributes to increased breast cancer risk, assessed novel technology for measuring breast density, and has an interest in clinical utility of breast density in predicting hormonal therapy response. He also studies the potential for liquid biopsy for the
assessment of circulating tumour cells and circulating tumour DNA to monitor risk of recurrence and therapy responses.
Mrs Gerda Evans
Gerda Evans is a community representative with a personal and strong family history of breast cancer. Gerda has represented Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) in familial and genetic cancer studies and with her background in oncology nursing, she is conversant with current breast cancer issues, including breast density and screening.
She is co-chair of the Australian Breast Density Consumer Advisory Council (ABDCAC), Community Advocate on InforMD Alliance, and a representative on MyBrisk Centre of Research Excellence.
Dr Dulashi (Anna) Withanage-Dona
Anna Withanage-Dona is an early career researcher in the Cancer in Primary Research Group at the University of Melbourne. Her expertise lies in developing novel precision medicine approaches for early diagnosis and treatment, leveraging advanced molecular biology tools and diagnostic techniques.
She has collaborated closely with healthcare professionals, policymakers, and consumers to integrate these approaches into clinical workflows, developing protocols and providing training. Notably, she coordinated the successful proposal to integrate risk-based screening into BreastScreen Victoria, bridging research and patient care via the RoBiN study.
Ms Lynette Walker
Lynette Walker is a Stakeholder Communications and Engagement Specialist. She undertakes this role for a number of research centres in the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, including the MyBRISK Centre for Research Excellence. Her responsibilities include the MyBRISK website, eNews, news media, and special events.
Dr Sue Malta
Sue Malta is an Honorary Senior Fellow in the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatics, and Deputy Director of Twins Research Australia, both at the University of Melbourne. Prior to her retirement she was also Program Manager for the Centre of Research Excellence in Breast Cancer Risk (MyBRISK), where she worked with the late, great, John Hopper, on this NHMRC-funded Centre, investigating ways to enable more effective breast cancer risk screening by combining different risk factors into one overall risk score.
Sue has expertise in recruiting and engaging healthcare professionals and consumer population groups in qualitative health research, particularly about diverse and sensitive topics. She also has lived experience of breast cancer, after being diagnosed in late 2021 – and is uniquely placed to be able to provide both a research and consumer perspective into breast cancer risk management. Sue is looking forward to continuing her work of advocating for and enabling women to represent themselves in research.
International Scientific Committee:
A/Prof Gretchen Gierach, a Chief Senior Investigator at the National Cancer Institute in the United States and an international expert in the etiology of breast cancer.
Dr Ralph Highnam, a medical biophysicist and founder/former CEO of Volpara Health (that provides AI-powered image analysis software that enables radiologists to quantify breast tissue with precision).