A major Women in Research (WIR) conference to be held in Queensland will not only embrace input from men, but one of the main speakers is a prominent woman who has had personal experience with transsexualism.

WIR activities to be hosted at Central Queensland University Rockhampton (Nov 12-14) are focused on encouraging research by female students and academics.

However, several men are presenting papers and the conference dinner guest speaker is lawyer Rachael Wallbank, a woman born with a female mind in a male body who has since undergone sex affirmation procedures and had her legal sex reassigned by law.

[Rachael conducts her own legal practice in Sydney specialising in Family Law, Defacto Relationships Law and Estate Litigation and is an Accredited Specialist (Family Law) as awarded by the Law Society of NSW. From 1999 to 2003 Rachael appeared on behalf of the Applicants, Kevin and Jennifer, in their successful original and appeal proceedings before the Family Court of Australia against the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Australia recorded in the judgments of Justice Richard Chisholm delivered 12th September 2001 and the Full Court of the Family Court of Family Court of Australia delivered 21 February 2003 whereby the marriage between Jennifer and the Kevin, a man of transsexual background, was declared a valid marriage according to the marriage law of Australia.] For more background visit: http://www.wallbanks.com/ WIR president Dr Lorna Moxham said she was delighted the conference had attracted around 90 papers from throughout Australia and overseas, including more than 60 from female students and academics based at CQU.

Dr Moxham said keynote speakers included Australian Research Council CEO Professor Vicki Sara, CQU's Foundation Professor of Health Science Amy Zelmer and Macquarie University Professor of Biology Elizabeth Deane. She said the conference theme of 'discovery' covered discovery of self, research, teaching and learning. This was WIR's 10th anniversary and the group was sponsoring a Postgraduate Research Forum being held in the lead-up to the conference.

"The conference and related activities embrace women and men from undergraduate level through to professorial level ... it is particularly inclusive while creating a catalyst for research by women." WIR Conference details are available at: http://www.cqu.edu.au/wir/events.htm Details/interview: Dr Lorna Moxham 4930 9894, l.moxham@cqu.edu.au