Prof Josephine Forbes is a translational researcher performing bench to bedside studies on novel therapies to prevent type 1 diabetes and a major complication, kidney disease. Currently she based at Mater Research - The University of Queensland in Australia. Josephine is the Australian Diabetes Society President-Elect, the previous chair of the Diabetes Australia Research Program and an editor board member for journals including Kidney International and Diabetologia. She is also continually in the top 2% of scientists globally as published annually by Stanford University, with an H index of 61. Josephine has published ~200 research articles with >15000 citations and three patents. She has received numerous prizes for her research including the Commonwealth Health Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research in Australia.

Ann has 20 years of experience as a registered nurse. She is a CDE working in metropolitan acute care, rural community health and private practice. Ann has been a member of the ADEA-VIC Branch Executive for six years and is a member of the ADEA Victoria Branch Conference Organising Committee. She has represented the ADEA as a member of a health advisory panel working with the Victorian Department of Education and Training and is passionate about diabetes education. Ann believes in the sustainability of private practice. Her focus is ensuring the CDE role is evidence-based best practice and continues to support the lobbying and support for ADEA members.

Justine is an experienced Board Director, Group CEO and transformation specialist. With qualifications in Law and Science, Justine has significant experience in non-executive director roles and senior executive roles across the health and human services sectors. She has held senior positions with listed companies, commercial organisations and not-for-profits. Justine’s experience spans large scale operational turnarounds, strategy, integration and transformation roles. She has worked across health insurance, disability services, aged care services, large scale government health contracting, the domestic violence sector, chronic disease management, population health, corporate health, hospital in the home, allied health services and health technology businesses. Justine is on the Boards of Uniting Care Queensland and the Diabetes Australia Research Trust and was previously on the Boards of LeapIn!, the Australian Diabetes Society, the Australian Diabetes Educators Association and the Queensland Advisory Board for the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Justine is currently the Group CEO of Diabetes Australia. The Diabetes Australia Group provides services and support in Australia and internationally. In Australia, the organisation operates as the national peak body for all Australians living with and at risk of diabetes, providing advocacy support, research funding and health service delivery supporting almost two million Australians. The organisation also delivers state­ based population health chronic disease prevention programs including My Health for Life (Queensland) Get Healthy Services (New South Wales) and The Coach Program (Tasmania). Diabetes Australia also delivers the Life for A Child Program supporting almost 60,000 children in approx 50 countries around the world gain access to insulin, education, and support.

As leader of the state’s first dedicated prevention agency, Dr Littlewood is a passionate advocate for health promotion in Queensland. Dr Littlewood believes every Queenslander has the right to better health, with expertise in driving outcomes for individual patients and populations in the area of non-communicable diseases. She is relentless in driving policy and action to achieve fairness for all and reach the right communities at the right time.