Background

Edwina is an infectious diseases physician and clinical researcher at the Alfred Hospital and the Burnet Institute. With a strong interest in HIV-associated neurological disorders Edwina’s work in this area includes studies that address the pathogenesis of HIV infection of the brain and the benefits of different strategies to treat HIV brain infection.

Currently Edwina chairs a large, international clinical trial designed to determine the impact of early antiretroviral treatment strategies upon HIV-associated neurocognitive performance. With regional colleagues she has studied the epidemiology of neurological disorders in the Asia-Pacific region. She is Chair of the Asia-Pacific NeuroAIDS Consortium (APNAC) and co-Chair of the Australasian National NeuroAIDS Brain and Tissue Bank Project.

Edwina’s collaborators include:

• Professor Sunil K Ahuja, Director, Veteran’s Administration Center for AIDS and HIV Infection, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas;
• Professor Bruce Brew, Director of Neurology, University of New South Wales, Australia;
• Professor Kevin Robertson, Director- AIDS Neurological Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; and
• Dr John Milan, Clinical Specialist, Medical Society of Papua New Guinea.

Edwina boasts a strong commitment to collaborative research projects and initiatives, and is keen to mentor and supervise scientists and clinicians interested in clinical research.

Appointments

• 2009-present: Adjunct Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
• 1997-present: Haemophilia Treatment Centre- Consultant Physician, Alfred Hospital, Victoria, Australia
• 1996-present: Senior Consultant, Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital, Australia

Positions

• 2011: President, Australasian Society of HIV Medicine
• 2008-present: Treatment Policy Advisor- National Association of People Living With HIV/AIDS
• 2008-present: Co-Chair, INSIGHT Neurology Interest Group
• 2008-present: Chair, START Neurology Substudy
• 2002-present: Chair, Asia-Pacific NeuroAIDS Consortium
• 2001-present: Co-Director, Australian National NeuroAIDS Brain and Tissue Bank

Qualifications

• 2011: PhD, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
• 1994: FRACP (Infectious Diseases)
• 1986: MBBS, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Awards

• 2011: NHMRC Early Career Fellowship
• 2010: Research Award - Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) and Gay Men’s Health Centre.
• 2009: People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)
• 2005: Roche Pharmaceuticals - Research Progress Award for the Australasian Brain and Tissue Bank Project
• 2004: Clinical Excellence Award, People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) FIND Award
• 2002: Monash University Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Postgraduate Research Scholarship

Projects (2)

Current (1)

• 

  PrEPX: Rapid scale-up of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)

Publications (64)

2021 (3)

• The Presence or Absence of Symptoms Among Cases of Urethral Gonorrhoea Occurring in a Cohort of Men Taking Human Immunodeficiency Virus Pre-exposure Prophylaxis in the PrEPX Study.
  Donovan LC, Fairley CK, Aung ET, Traeger MW, Wright EJ, Stoové MA, Chow EPF
  Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Jun; 8(6):ofab263
• Barriers and facilitators to pre-exposure prophylaxis among African migrants in high income countries: a systematic review.
  Mwaturura C, Traeger M, Lemoh C, Stoové M, Price B, Coelho A, Mikola M, Ryan KE, Wright E
  Sex Health. 2021 May; 18(2):130-139
• Low incidence of hepatitis C among a cohort of HIV-negative gay and bisexual men using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Melbourne, Australia, and the contribution of sexual transmission.
  Cornelisse VJ, Traeger MW, Wright EJ, Murphy D, Stoove M, Hellard M, Sacks-Davis R, Asselin J, Fairley CK, Doyle J, Sasawdeusz J
  J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2021 Mar; 87(4):1011-1015

2020 (3)

• The potential impact of a gel-based point-of-sex intervention in reducing gonorrhoea incidence among gay and bisexual men: a modelling study.
  Traeger MW, Tidhar T, Holt M, Williams C, Wright EJ, Stoové MA, Scott N, Hellard ME
  Sex Transm Dis. 2020 Jul; 47(10):649-657
• Trends in human immunodeficiency virus and sexually transmitted Infection testing among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men after rapid scale-up of preexposure prophylaxis in Victoria, Australiaia.
  Ryan KE, Asselin J, Fairley CK, Armishaw J, Lal L, Nguyen L, Murphy D, Traeger M, Hellard M, Hoy J, Stoové M, Wright E; PrEPX Study team
  Sex Transm Dis. 2020 Apr; 47(8):516-552
• New Potential Axes of HIV Neuropathogenesis with Relevance to Biomarkers and Treatment.
  Angelovich TA, Churchill MJ, Wright EJ, Brew BJ
  Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2020 Feb; Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg:https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2019_126

2019 (3)

• Transformation of Australian Community Pharmacies Into Good Clinical Practice Compliant Trial Pharmacies for HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis.
  Lal L, Ryan K, Liu IY, Price B, Lockwood T, Aguirre I, Slobodian P, Lam A, Vassan M, Lim K, Silverii J, Tesoriero J, Phu J, Lim W, Naidoo B, Russell N, Rundle M, Sewell R, Cooper C, Hardman A, Quinn M, Mak A, Wright EJ
  Front Pharmacol. 2019 Nov; 10:1269
• Interest in Switching to On-Demand HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Among Australian Users of Daily PrEP: An Online Survey.
  Cornelisse VJ, Lal L, Price B, Ryan KE, Bell C, Owen L, Wright EJ
  Open Forum Infect Dis. 2019 Jul; 6(7):ofz287
• Association of HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis With Incidence of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Individuals at High Risk of HIV Infection.
  Traeger MW, Cornelisse VJ, Asselin J, Price B, Roth NJ, Willcox J, Tee BK, Fairley CK, Chang CC, Armishaw J, Vujovic O, Penn M, Cundill P, Forgan-Smith G, Gall J, Pickett C, Lal L, Mak A, Spelman TD, Nguyen L, Murphy DA, Ryan KE, El-Hayek C, West M, Ruth S, Batrouney C, Lockwood JT, Hoy JF, Hellard ME, Stoové MA, Wright EJ; PrEPX Study Team
  JAMA. 2019 Apr; 321(14):1380-1390

2018 (8)

• Evaluation of PrEP eligibility criteria using sexually transmissible infections as HIV risk markers at enrolment in PrEPX, a large Australian HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis trial.
  Cornelisse VJ, Fairley CK, Stoove M, Asselin J, Chow EPF, Price B, Roth NJ, Willcox J, Tee BK, Penn M, Chang CC, Armishaw J, Forgan-Smith G, Wright EJ; PrEPX study team
  Clin Infect Dis. 2018 Nov; 67(12):1847-52
• The estimated number of potential PrEP users among gay-identifying men who have sex with men in Australia.
  Zablotska IB, Gray R, Whittaker B, Holt M, Wright E, Prestage G, O'Donnell D, Grulich AE
  PLoS One. 2018 Oct; 13(10):e0204138
• Decline in new HIV diagnoses among MSM in Melbourne.
  Chow EPF, Medland NA, Denham I, Wright EJ, Fairley CK
  Lancet HIV. 2018 Sep; 5(9):e479-e481
• Protocol for an HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Population Level Intervention Study in Victoria Australia: The PrEPX Study.
  Ryan KE, Mak A, Stoove M, Price B, Fairley CK, Ruth S, Lal L, Asselin J, El-Hayek C, Nguyen L, Batrouney C, Wilson D, Lockwood J, Murphy D, Cornelisse VJ, Roth N, Willcox J, Chang CC, Armishaw J, Tee BK, Penn M, Forgan-Smith G, Williams C, Montgomery J, Byron K, Coelho A, Allen B, Wiggins J, Kelsall J, Vujovic O, West M, Pierce AB, Gallant D, Bell C, de Wit JBF, Hoy JF, Wesselingh SL, Grant RM, Wright EJ
  Front Public Health. 2018 May; 6:151
• Global developments in HIV neurology.
  Wright EJ, Thakur KT, Bearden D, Birbeck GL
  Handb Clin Neurol. 2018 Apr; 152:265-287
• Effects of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of HIV Infection on Sexual Risk Behavior in Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
  Traeger MW, Schroeder SE, Wright EJ, Hellard ME, Cornelisse VJ, Doyle JS, Stoové MA
  Clin Infect Dis. 2018 Mar; 67(5):676-686
• Beliefs in antiretroviral treatment and self-efficacy in HIV management are associated with distinctive HIV treatment trajectories.
  Mao L, de Wit J, Adam P, Post JJ, Slavin S, Cogle A, Wright E, Kidd M
  AIDS Behav. 2018 Mar; 22(3):887-895
• No Neurocognitive Advantage for Immediate Antiretroviral Treatment in adults with greater than 500 CD4+ T Cell Counts.
  Wright EJ, Grund B, Robertson KR, Cysique L, Brew BJ, Collins GL, Poehlman-Roediger M, Vjecha M, Penalva de Oliveira A, Standridge B, Carey C, Avihingsanon A, Florence E, Lundgren JD, Arenas-Pinto A, Mueller NJ, Winston A, Nsubuga MS, Lal L, Price RW; INSIGHT START Neurology Substudy Group
  AIDS. 2018 Feb; 32(8):985-997

2017 (4)

• Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis: clinical guidelines.
  Wright E, Grulich A, Roy K, Boyd M, Cornelisse V, Russell D, O'Donnell D, Whittaker B, Crooks L, Zablotska I
  J Virus Erad. 2017 Jul; 3(3):168-184
• Monitoring HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder using screenings: a critical review including guidelines for clinical and research use.
  Kamminga J, Lal L, Wright EJ, Bloch M, Brew BJ, Cysique LA
  Curr HIV/AIDS Rep. 2017 Jun; 14(3):83-92
• Medication adherence, condom use and sexually transmitted infections in Australian PrEP users: interim results from the Victorian PrEP Demonstration Project.
  Lal L, Audsley J, Murphy D, Fairley CK, Stoove M, Roth N, Moore R, Tee BK, Puratmaja N, Anderson PL, Leslie D, Grant RM, De Wit J, Wright E; VicPrEP Study Team.
  AIDS. 2017 May; 31(12):1709-1714
• Comparing non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis drug regimens for HIV: insights from a linked HIV surveillance system.
  Pierce AB, El-Hayek C, McCarthy D, Armishaw J, Watson K, Wilkinson A, Price B, Wright EJ, Hoy JF, Stoové MA
  Sex Health. 2017 Feb; 14(2):179-87

2016 (1)

• Approach to neurological symptoms. (Book Chapter)
  Brew BJ, Wright EJ, Chan P, Post JJ
  in "HIV Management in Australasia." Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Sydney, Australia. 2016 Jul

2015 (6)

• Factors associated with neurocognitive test performance at baseline: a substudy of the INSIGHT Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) trial.
  Wright E, Grund B, Cysique, Robertson K, Brew B, Collins G, Shlay J, Winston A, Read T, Price R; International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials (INSIGHT) START Study Group.
  HIV Med. 2015 Apr; 16 Suppl S1:97-108
• 'Not Until I'm Absolutely Half-Dead and Have To:' Accounting for Non-Use of Antiretroviral Therapy in Semi-Structured Interviews with People Living with HIV in Australia.
  Newman CE, Mao L, Persson A, Holt M, Slavin S, Kidd MR, Post JJ, Wright E, de Wit J
  AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2015 Mar; 29(5):267-278
• Evolving views and practices of antiretroviral treatment prescribers in Australia.
  Mao L, Adam PC, Kippax S, Crooks L, Post JJ, Kidd MR, Slavin S, Wright EJ, de Wit JB
  Med J Aust. 2015 Mar; 202(5):258-260
• HIV eradication symposium: will the brain be left behind?
  Brew BJ, Robertson K, Wright EJ, Churchill M, Crowe SM, Cysique LA, Deeks S, Garcia JV, Gelman B, Gray LR, Johnson T, Joseph J, Margolis DM, Mankowski JL, Spencer B
  J Neurovirol. 2015 Mar; 21(3):322-334
• Influence of the Timing of Antiretroviral Therapy on the Potential for Normalization of Immune Status in Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1-Infected Individuals.
  Okulicz JF, Le TD, Agan BK, Camargo JF, Landrum ML, Wright E, Dolan MJ, Ganesan A, Ferguson TM, Smith DM, Richman DD, Little SJ, Clark RA, He W, Ahuja SK.
  JAMA Intern Med. 2015 Jan; 175(1):88-99
• Impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) timing on chronic immune activation/inflammation and end-organ damage.
  Rajasuriar R, Wright E, Lewin SR
  Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2015 Jan; 10(1):35-42

2014 (3)

• Neuro OIs: developed and developing countries.
  Wright EJ
  Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2014 Sep; 9(6):539-544
• Bringing new HIV infections to zero - opportunities and challenges offered by antiretroviral-based prevention in Asia, the Pacific and beyond: An overview of this special issue.
  Zablotska IB, Whittaker B, de Wit J, Kamarulzaman A, Ananworanich J, Wright E, Poynten IM, Mayer K
  Sex Health. 2014 Jul; 11(2):97-100
• Symptoms of depression and rates of neurocognitive impairment in HIV positive patients in Beijing, China.
  Dwyer R, Wenhui L, Cysique L, Brew BJ, Lal L, Bain P, Wesselingh S, Wright EJ
  J Affect Disord. 2014 Jun; 162:89-95

2013 (3)

• Australian prescribers' perspectives on ART initiation in the era of "treatment as prevention".
  Mao L, de Wit J, Adam P, Post JJ, Crooks L, Kidd MR, Slavin S, Kippax S, Wright E
  AIDS Care. 2013 Nov; 25(11):1375-1379
• Improved neurocognitive test performance in both arms of the SMART study: impact of practice effect.
  Grund B, Wright EJ, Brew BJ, Price RW, Roediger MP, Bain MP, Hoy JF, Shlay JC, Vjecha MJ, Robertson KR; for the INSIGHT SMART Study Group
  J Neurovirol. 2013 Aug; 19(4):383-392
• Enhanced CD4+ T-Cell Recovery with Earlier HIV-1 Antiretroviral Therapy
  Le T, Wright EJ, Smith DM, He W, Catano G, Okulicz JF, Young JA, Clark RA, Richman DD, Little SJ, Ahuja SK
  NEJM. 2013 Jan; 368(3):218-230

2012 (2)

• Nonoccupational post-exposure prophylaxis source tracing: is it really feasible in Australia?
  Pierce A, Armishaw J, Price B, Wright E, Dax E, Fairley C, Hoy J
  HIV Med. 2012 Aug; 13(7):436-438
• The Four Seasons approach to the management of modern HIV medicine in high-income countries.
  Wright EJ
  Sex Health. 2012 May; 9(5):491-2

2011 (7)

• Non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis in Victoria, Australia: responding to high rates of re-presentation and low rates of follow-up.
  Armishaw J, Hoy JF, Watson KM, Wright EJ, Price BG, Pierce AB
  Int J STD AIDS. 2011 Dec; 22(12):714-718
• Does use of antiretroviral therapy regimens with high central nervous system penetration improve survival in HIV-infected adults?
  McManus H, Li P, Nolan D, Bloch M, Kiertiburanakul S, Choi J, Mulhall B, Petoumenos K, Zhou J, Law M, Brew B, Wright E
  HIV Med. 2011 Aug; 12(10):610-619
• Neurocognitive impairment and neuroCART.
  Wright E
  Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2011 Jul; 6(4):303-308
• Thymic plasmacytoid dendritic cells are susceptible to productive HIV-1 infection and efficiently transfer R5 HIV-1 to thymocytes in vitro.
  Evans VA, Lal L, Akkina R, Solomon A, Wright E, Lewin SR, Cameron PU
  Retrovirology. 2011 Jun; 8:43
• HIV seroconversions among male non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis service users: a data linkage study.
  Pierce AB, Yohannes K, Guy R, Watson KM, Armishaw J, Price B, Hoy JF, Wright EJ, Stoové MA
  Sex Health. 2011 Jun; 8(2):179-183
• Duffy-null-associated low neutrophil counts influence HIV-1 susceptibility in high-risk South African black women.
  Ramsuran V, Kulkarni H, He W, Mlisana K, Wright EJ, Werner L, Castiblanco J, Dhanda R, Le T, Dolan MJ, Guan W, Weiss RA, Clark RA, Abdool Karim SS, Ahuja SK, Ndung'u T
  Clin Infect Dis. 2011 May; 52(10):1248-1256
• HIV and age do not substantially interact in HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment.
  Lucette A Cysique, Paul Maruff, Margaret P Bain, Edwina Wright, Bruce J Brew
  J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2011 Jan; 23(1):83-89

2009 (4)

• The Duffy-null state is associated with a survival advantage in leukopenic HIV-infected persons of African ancestry.
  Kulkarni H, Marconi VC, He W, Landrum ML, Okulicz JF, Delmar J, Kazandjian D, Castiblanco J, Ahuja SS, Wright EJ, Weiss RA, Clark RA, Dolan MJ, Ahuja SK.
  Blood. 2009 Sep; 114(13):2783-2792
• Neurological disease: the effects of HIV and antiretroviral therapy and the implications for early antiretroviral therapy initiation.
  Edwina J Wright
  Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2009 Sep; 4(5):447-452
• Development and management of systemic lupus erythematosus in an HIV-infected man with hepatitis C and B co-infection following interferon therapy: a case report.
  Abbott IJ, Chang CC, Skinner MJ, Street A, Perry G, McLean C, Wright EJ, Cameron PU
  J Med Case Rep. 2009 Jun; 3:7289
• HCV treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin in patients with haemophilia and HIV/HCV co-infection.
  J T Denholm, E J Wright, A Street, J J Sasadeusz
  Haemophilia. 2009 Mar; 15(2):538-543

2008 (5)

• NeuroAIDS in the Asia Pacific Region.
  Wright EJ, Nunn M, Joseph J, Robertson K, Lal L, Brew BJ
  J Neurovirol. 2008 Nov; 14(6):465-473
• Pathogenesis and diagnosis of viral infections of the nervous system.
  Wright EJ, Brew BJ, Wesselingh SL
  Neurol Clin. 2008 Aug; 26(3):617-33
• Neurologic disorders are prevalent in HIV-positive outpatients in the Asia-Pacific region.
  Wright E, Brew B, Arayawichanont A, Robertson K, Samintharapanya K, Kongsaengdao S, Lim M, Vonthanak S, Lal L, Sarim C, Huffam S, Li P, Imran D, Lewis J, Lun WH, Kamarulzaman A, Tau G, Ali ST, Kishore K, Bain MP, Dwyer R, McCormack G, Hellard M, Cherry C, McArthur J, Wesselingh S
  Neurology. 2008 Jul; 71(1):50-56
• Immune reconstitution disease of the central nervous system.
  Torok ME, Kambugu A, Wright E
  Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2008 Jul; 3(4):438-445
• Response to Birbeck et al. Lack of appropriate treatment for people with comorbid HIV/AIDS and epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa. [Epilepsia. 2007]
  Wright E, Brew BJ, Lal L, Ali ST, Arayawichanont A, Imran D, Kamarulzaman A, Kongsaengdao S, Kruy L, Merati TP, Samintharapanya K, Sarim C, Tau G, Thangsing C, Vin-Samnang C, Wesselingh SL
  Epilepsia. 2008 Mar; 49(3):541-543

2007 (4)

• The safety and efficacy of enfuvirtide therapy for HIV infection in patients with hemophilia: a case series.
  Mark N Polizzotto, Alison M Street, Edwina Wright
  Clin Infect Dis. 2007 Aug; 45(4):e39-e41
• Hepatitis C in psychiatry inpatients: testing rates, prevalence and risk behaviours.
  Cameron Lacey, Steve Ellen, Harriet Devlin, Edwina Wright, Anne Mijch
  Australas Psychiatry. 2007 Aug; 15(4):315-319
• Human immunodeficiency virus-associated progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy: epidemiology and predictive factors for prolonged survival.
  A K Drake, C T Loy, B J Brew, T C C Chen, K Petoumenos, P C K Li, E J Wright
  Eur J Neurol. 2007 Apr; 14(4):418-423
• AIDS-related plasmablastic lymphoma of the oral cavity associated with an IGH/MYC translocation--treatment with autologous stem-cell transplantation in a patient with severe haemophilia-A.
  Mark A Dawson, Anthony P Schwarer, Catriona McLean, Paul Oei, Lynda J Campbell, Edwina Wright, Jake Shortt, Alison M Street
  Haematologica. 2007 Jan; 92(1):e11-e12

2006 (1)

• Depression and neurocognitive performance in individuals with HIV/AIDS: 2-year follow-up.
  T Gibbie, A Mijch, S Ellen, J Hoy, C Hutchison, E Wright, P Chua, F Judd
  HIV Med. 2006 Mar; 7(2):112-121

1997 (1)

• Fertility and reproductive choice in women with HIV-1 infection.
  S V Thackway, V Furner, A Mijch, D A Cooper, D Holland, P Martinez, D Shaw, I van Beek, E Wright, K Clezy, J M Kaldor
  AIDS. 1997 Apr; 11(5):663-667

1996 (1)

• Managing HIV. Part 5: Treating secondary outcomes. 5.4 HIV-induced neurological disease.
  E J Wright, B J Brew, J N Currie, J C McArthur
  Med J Aust. 1996 Apr; 164(7):414-417

1995 (2)

• Emergence of multidrug resistance in Campylobacter jejuni isolates from three patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus.
  W Tee, A Mijch, E Wright, A Yung
  Clin Infect Dis. 1995 Sep; 21(3):634-638
• In vitro growth of the microsporidian Septata intestinalis from an AIDS patient with disseminated illness.
  Doultree JC, Maerz AL, Ryan NJ, Baird RW, Wright E, Crowe SM, Marshall JA
  J Clin Microbiol. 1995 Feb; 33(2):463-470

1994 (2)

• Hospital practices influence the pattern of infective endocarditis.
  D E Dwyer, S C Chen, E J Wright, D Crimmins, P J Collignon, T C Sorrell
  Med J Aust. 1994 Jun; 160(11):709-13, 716
• Early HIV infection.
  J F Hoy, E J Wright, S Kimura
  AIDS. 1994 Jan; 8 Suppl 2:S29-S34

1990 (1)

• Endocarditis associated with prosthetic cardiac valves.
  S C Chen, T C Sorrell, D E Dwyer, P J Collignon, E J Wright
  Med J Aust. 1990 May; 152(9):458, 461-458, 463

News Articles (13)

2019 (1)

• Condom use not linked with STI increase among men using PrEP

2018 (2)

• World AIDS Day 2018: Everybody Counts
• New insights into PrEP, STIs, condom use

2017 (1)

• HIV research optimism on PrEP

2016 (4)

• World AIDS Day launch: HIV is still here and it's on the move
• What next for Truvada, PrEP?
• PrEP drug approval welcomed
• Burnet supports expanded PrEP study

2013 (2)

• Burnet to collaborate on ground-breaking PrEP trial
• Early therapy for HIV vital

2012 (3)

• Proposed action plan for HIV in Australia launched this week
• HIV researchers taking different approaches to a cure
• Burnet's scientists join world leaders at AIDS 2012 Conference