Explore the conference agenda featuring educational sessions, a panel discussion, an interactive workshop, and dedicated time for networking with fellow medical writing professionals.
The 2026 AMWA-MAC Annual Conference will be held on March 13, 2026 at Mason Square, George Mason University Arlington Campus.
See event details and register here today! (last day to register: March 09, 2026)
2026 Conference Agenda
For questions related to the conference program or registration, please contact Andrea Clark, AMWA-MAC Conference Chair, at clark@meaganeldridge.com.
Session Description
How To Think Like a Leader
Hope Lafferty, AM, ELS, Hope Lafferty Communications & Coaching
You might have heard “Some are born leaders…others have leadership thrust upon them.” Beyond personality, behavior, and plain luck, leadership is a way of thinking. Actually, myriad ways of thinking. In this session, Hope will look at the 3 most common ways session participants think and how unexpected habits of thinking affect a person’s ability to lead.
To customize this session, participants will take a complementary quick online assessment in advance* (by 2 weeks before the conference) to identify common habits of thinking across the group. Based on the results of this EEOC-validated assessment, Hope will provide tailored insights about how these habits either support or potentially sabotage our work as leaders.
This session is not about emotional intelligence or communication style or categorized personality traits. It focuses solely on mindset: the ways we think about the world and our place in it. How we think correlates with how we lead.
The good news? Leadership is a learned skill. By understanding the pitfalls and the benefits of our habits of thinking, we can all learn to think like—and become—effective and authentic leaders.
*To be included in the data set, participants will access the Habit Finder™ assessment by 2 weeks before the conference at https://habitfinder.com/hope
Regulatory Agency Perspectives on Oncology Drug Development: Practical Insights for Medical Writers
Andrea Clark, PhD, Principal Medical Writer, Eldridge Writing & Consulting
As the regulatory landscape for oncology drug development continues to evolve, keeping up with current guidance is essential for medical writers to support effective clinical trial design and successful submissions. This session will examine key regulatory guidance impacting oncology clinical trials, with a focus on the 2025 FDA guidance on approaches to assessing overall survival. Topics will include how regulatory expectations shape clinical trial design and how medical writers can strategically align documentation to support regulatory success. With this knowledge, attendees will be able to identify opportunities to enhance the quality and impact of clinical documentation to align oncology development programs with current regulatory thinking.
Editing Your Own Work (After You’ve Read It 1000 Times)
Hope Lafferty, AM, ELS, Hope Lafferty Communications & Coaching
Medical writers don’t only write. We’re researchers, content developers, project managers, multilevel editors, proofreaders, and publishers. Each role requires a different way of thinking. Writers and managers view projects strategically; editors and proofreaders approach projects tactically. Switching between these different ways of thinking can prove challenging especially when we’re exhausted, fed up, and under deadline.
Attendees will gain both strategies and tactics to catch embarrassing or compromising mistakes without glazing over so that they may produce impeccable documents that are error-free, wince-free, and easier to read.
Modern Authoring Tools & Workflows
Adele Gonski, PhD, CMPP, Associate Scientific Director, Medical Communications, Precision AQ
Crystal Herron, PhD, ELS(D), CMPP, Founder and CVO, Redwood Ink Academy
Haifa Kassis, MD, President, Crisp Writing, LLC
Meagan Eldridge, MS, President, Eldridge Writing & Consulting
This panel examines how medical writing teams are managing technology-driven authoring and review workflows. Panelists will discuss effective collaboration, smart integration of writing and review tools, responsible use of AI, and what the next 5 to 10 years may hold for medical writing workflows.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Gold Sponsor
Eldridge Writing & Consulting, LLC
Silver Sponsor
Whitsell Innovations, Inc
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
Learn more here.
