Keynote Presentation - Thursday 21st May 2026 

Katherine Broomfield qualified as a speech and language therapist in 2001, later completing a master’s in clinical leadership. She worked clinically with adults who acquired communication disability in multi-professional, post-acute and community rehabilitation teams before specialising in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and leading an AAC service in Gloucestershire.

Katherine was awarded her PhD in 2024 for research on the experiences of using AAC and developing a patient reported outcome measure. She is currently working as Senior Research Fellow, Bristol Speech and Language Therapy Research Unit (NBT) & Centre for Speech, Hearing and Communication Research, Cardiff Metropolitan University. Her research includes applying accessible and creative qualitative methods for inclusive research, developing person-centred outcome tools, and innovating AAC and assistive technologies.

Keynote Presentation:

Unspoken voices: collaborating with people who have communication disability to enhance speech and language therapy research and practice.

In this keynote, Katherine will share insights from her research into how mutual learning with people who use AAC and others with communication disability has reshaped her understanding of both research and clinical practice. She will invite delegates to reflect on how SLTs can collaborate more creatively and courageously with the people they support - amplifying voices that are too often overlooked and opening up new possibilities for outcomes, impact, and professional growth.

We look forward to welcoming Katherine and all of you to Portlaoise in May! 

Keynote Presentation: Friday 22 May 2026

We are delighted to announce that David Robert Grimes (PhD, CStat) will join us as a keynote speaker at this year’s conference.

David is a scientist, broadcaster, speaker, and author whose work sits at the intersection of science, medicine, and society. His expertise spans public understanding of science, critical thinking, medical misinformation, mathematical modelling, and research integrity. Through both his academic work and public engagement, he is widely recognised for his efforts to promote evidence-based thinking and improve how science is communicated to the public.

A prolific science communicator, David has written extensively for international publications including The Guardian, Scientific American, The New York Times, The Financial Times, and The Irish Times, among many others. His commentary and analysis explore topics such as misinformation, conspiracy theories, scientific literacy, and the challenges of communicating evidence in an increasingly complex information landscape.

David is also the author of the critically acclaimed book The Irrational Ape: Why We Fall for Disinformation, Conspiracy Theory, and Propaganda (Simon & Schuster, 2019), published in North America as Good Thinking: Why Flawed Logic Puts Us All at Risk, and How Critical Thinking Can Save the World (The Experiment, 2021). In this work, he examines why misinformation spreads so easily and how critical thinking can help individuals and societies navigate an era of information overload.

In addition to his writing, David is a highly experienced public speaker who regularly delivers talks and keynote presentations at conferences and events around the world. He frequently appears on television and radio internationally, including on the BBC, PBS, Newstalk, and RTÉ, where he discusses science, misinformation, and public health issues.

His contributions to science communication and advocacy for evidence-based thinking have been widely recognised. He is a recipient of the prestigious Nature / Sense About Science John Maddox Prize for standing up for science and is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Royal Statistical Society.

We are very much looking forward to David’s keynote presentation and to the insights he will bring to this year’s programme.

AnneMarie MacRae is a highly specialist speech and language therapist and rights-advocate who authored the influential report Giving voice to all of Scotland’s children—a call to action to uphold and realise children’s language and communication rights across Scotland. Her work highlights how speech and language therapy plays a vital role in ensuring that every child’s voice is heard and that their rights, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, are fully respected and protected. Through this report, AnneMarie aims to empower professionals and policymakers to prioritise communication as a fundamental human right and to drive systemic change that benefits all children.

Julie Regan is Associate Professor in Speech and Language Pathology in the Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies at Trinity College Dublin. She holds a BSc, MSc and PhD from TCD, having completed her PhD in the School of Medicine with support from a Health Research Board Healthcare Professional Grant. Her research focuses on instrumental assessment of swallowing and evidence-based dysphagia rehabilitation in cancer and neurological populations.

She has published over 90 peer-reviewed papers and five book chapters, is Secretary General of the European Society of Swallowing Disorders (ESSD), a member of the Dysphagia Research Society International Interprofessional Committee, and Co-Editor of Advances in Communication and Swallowing. Julie teaches across adult neurology, dysarthria and dysphagia, received a Trinity Teaching Excellence Award in 2020, was appointed Visiting Professor at KU Leuven, and was awarded Fellowship of Trinity College Dublin in 2025.