On 3-5 May 2017, the Cerebral Palsy Alliance of Australia held a Summit in San Francisco, CA. This research summit, “Prevention of disability following premature birth” was an inaugural collaboration between Cerebral Palsy Alliance IMPACT for CP, UCSF Preterm birth Initiative and the March of Dimes, with invited delegates from organizations including the World Health Organisation, the Gates Foundation, the Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth, along with international expert researchers working within the field of preterm birth and disability.
The two-day summit was structured with a combination of didactic expert lectures and facilitated workshops. Twenty-two experts in their fields presented novel research and the impact they and their organisations are making. The five workshops provided the forum for intellectual and strategic discussion with the primary aims:
• To bring together experts from around the world to share their knowledge and establish new networks and collaborations
• To determine what we currently know that prevents CP post premature birth and what strategies are required to implement and translate these into clinical practice
• To prioritize novel research, collaborations and financial support
A white paper from this summit will be available to download in March 2018