ACA Conference 2026

The ACA is delighted to announce internationally recognised chiropractic and neuroscience speaker Dr Monique (Mo) Andrews will be speaking in-person at the 2026 ‘Big Tent’ Conference in Adelaide. 

Dr Mo harnesses her Doctor of Chiropractic and Master’s of Neuroscience into the highly engaging, TED Talk-style presentations she is globally renowned for. Her blend of expertise and energy mixes perfectly to create engaging sessions that break complex topics into simple terms. 

At the ACA ‘BIG TENT’ Conference in the City of Churches, Dr Mo’s sermons will bring unmatched clarity to the intersection of brain science and chiropractic, combining academic rigour, clinical wisdom, and embodied teaching to leave you wanting more.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see Dr Mo in person!

Our 2026 ‘BIG TENT’ Conference speaker lineup is bolstered by the presence of Dr Claudia Anrig and her shareable wisdom on chiropractic paediatrics.

Across a decorated 35-year career, Dr Anrig has achieved many things, including receiving the 1997 Chiropractor of the Year Award from the World Chiropractic Association and serving as both past president and on the board of the International Chiropractic Paediatric Association.

She is the founder of the first comprehensive paediatric program and community outreach and personally mentors chiropractors dreaming of growing their family wellness practice. Additionally, her textbook, Paediatric Chiropractic, is the fastest-selling textbook in chiropractic history.

Her extensive knowledge and insights will take centre stage at the ‘Big Tent’ in Adelaide from 22-23 August, leaving you with a clearer, more comprehensive understanding of paediatrics than you arrived with.

One of the most requested international keynote speakers on pain science, Professor Lorimer Moseley AO, headlines the 2026 ACA ‘BIG TENT’ Conference in Adelaide.

As a result of his achievements, Professor Lorimer has received Australia’s second-highest civilian honour, the Officer of the Order of Australia, for ‘distinguished service to humanity at large in the fields of pain and its management, science communication, education, and physiotherapy.’

Across 30 years of clinical experience, Professor Lorimer has worked with and helped people with chronic pain, while his community outreach and whole-of-community education initiatives are renowned worldwide. Additionally, he is the author of hundreds of articles, multiple books and chapters, and is cited in international clinical guidelines, further highlighting his position as a global leader on pain science.

FICS Secretary-General, Dr Brian Nook, has had a career as storied as any. After graduating from Northwestern College of Chiropractic, he taught chiropractic technique and research at the school for a further two years before establishing many practices throughout Iowa.

Dr Nook has previously spent a decade as an Associate Professor at Murdoch University, before serving as the University’s School Dean for Chiropractic and Sports Science. Additionally, he was the Head of College at the Australian College of Physical Education. At both institutions, he oversaw periods of significant success and growth.

Alongside running his own practices, he has also served as a team physician at countless local, national, and international sporting events, notably acting as a team chiropractor at 4 Olympic Games, including Sydney 2000.

At the ACA’s ‘BIG TENT’ Conference in Adelaide, Brian will draw on his incredible experience and knowledge to deliver an invaluable hands-on session.

Dr Brian Budgell is a highly respected chiropractor, researcher and educator based in Canada, with more than 40 years’ experience across clinical practice, research and academia. He is widely recognised for his contributions to chiropractic documentation and clinical case writing, and has presented internationally, helping practitioners better understand, communicate and publish their work.

Dr Budgell is the Director of Life Sciences Laboratories at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC). After several years in clinical practice, he transitioned into research, including seven years working with the late Professor Akio Sato at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, where his work focused on the neurobiological mechanisms underpinning somatic therapies and somatoautonomic reflexes. He later served as an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Kyoto University, contributing to both human and animal research.

His more recent work explores the effects of somatic stimulation on spinal cord blood flow and the modulation of somatoautonomic reflexes. A strong advocate for improving chiropractic research and publication standards, Dr Budgell has also published widely in biomedical writing and health linguistics.

At the ACA 2026 ‘Big Tent’ Conference in Adelaide, Dr Budgell will bring clarity to complex research concepts, helping delegates build confidence in understanding, applying and communicating evidence in clinical practice.

Carolyn Broderick is an Associate Professor at UNSW Sydney and a Staff Specialist in Sport & Exercise Medicine at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. She is Chief Medical Officer of Tennis Australia and the Australian Open, and Medical Director of the Australian Olympic Team for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Her expertise is in injury and illness prevention in sport and evidence-based physical activity guidelines for children. In partnership with the Australian Institute of Sport, she co-authored Australia’s COVID return-to-sport guidelines in 2020, adopted by the AHPPC and Federal Cabinet. She also contributes to clinical practice and policy development across organisations, including the IOC, AIS, Sports Medicine Australia and the Australasian College of Sport & Exercise Physicians.

At the Big Tent Conference, Carolyn will share practical insights to inform and clarify contemporary sports chiropractic practice.

Dr Dorte Bladt is a leading advocate for vitalistic chiropractic care for children, running a thriving family practice in Newcastle, Australia. With 35 years of experience and a Master’s in Chiropractic Paediatrics, she contributes her expertise as a member of the ACA AICE Paediatrics Clinical Practice Committee.

As founder of Switched-on Kids, Dorte has been teaching chiropractors globally since 2006, providing essential tools for assessing and adjusting children. She also leads the Practice Pro coaching program and is a sought-after international speaker.

In 2015, Dorte launched The Kids Summit, raising over $400,000 to support paediatric chiropractic research. She is the author of Switched-on Kids – The Natural Way for Children to Be Their Best and received the ACA Outstanding Service Award in 2024 for her contributions to the profession.

With her extensive experience in caring for children and families, Dorte will deliver a hands-on session at the 2026 ‘BIG TENT’ Conference, leaving attendees with a clearer, more comprehensive understanding of essential assessments and adjustments for children than they arrived with.

Since graduating from Macquarie University in 2010, Dr Natalie Sharp has been a prominent figure in the sports chiropractic space. She brings a modern, athlete-centred approach to managing injuries across multiple elite sports, including pickleball, and active Australians of all levels. 

Additionally, she has held leadership positions within both the ACA and FICS, and completed further training across movement assessment, rehabilitation, multiple taping techniques, concussion management, and the IOC’s Certificate in Mental Health in Elite Sport.

With approximately 85% of Australia’s adult population living active lifestyles, the ability to confidently manage the injuries and issues that come with increased activity is essential. Nat’s expertise and practical insights will give you the skills to meet that demand with confidence.

Dr David Cahill has been a registered chiropractor for over three decades, practising in Melbourne’s Malvern East since 1998. He brings extensive experience caring for patients across the lifespan, from infants to older adults.

David’s clinical approach blends Gonstead and Thompson techniques into a gentle yet highly effective style of adjustment, refined through a long-standing commitment to postgraduate education. More recently, his pursuit of clinical excellence has led him to Biogeometric Integration, an approach he believes deeply respects the body’s innate design.

A committed leader within the profession, David currently serves on the Board of the Australian Chiropractors Association and is a past President of the Australian Spinal Research Foundation, where he served for 11 years as a Governor. He also worked as chiropractor to the Hawthorn Football Club from 2016–2020, collaborating closely with multidisciplinary sports medicine teams.

At the Big Tent Conference, David will share insights from decades of clinical practice, leadership and innovation, offering delegates a grounded and thoughtful perspective on chiropractic care and its transformative potential.

Session Title: Adjusting With That Something
Out beyond the familiar dichotomies of mechanism and vitalism, therapeutic and non-therapeutic purpose, divisions of technique, and political strategies, there is a moment in every chiropractic encounter where the rubber truly meets the road. With a lens grounded firmly in practice while still reaching for the stars, David invites you into the heart of that moment – and into a deeper exploration of what it really means to be a chiropractor.