Nasrin is a PhD candidate at Deakin University. Her research focuses on developing ECM-mimetic self-assembling peptide hydrogels combined with bioactive agents to enhance islet survival and function, to improve long-term outcomes in cell-based transplantation strategies.

Dr Cait Beddows is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Melbourne, investigating how hypothalamic signalling pathways regulate systemic metabolism. Her research examines how changes in the brain microenvironment contribute to obesity and metabolic disease, to identify novel neuroendocrine mechanisms that can be leveraged to develop next-generation metabolic therapies.

Misbah Aziz is a recent PhD graduate and started her research fellowship at Monash University. Her research interest includes epigenetics of cardiovascular disease, specifically diabetes associated atherosclerosis.

Dr. Oli Fuller completed a PhD at Monash University with Prof Mark Febbraio, studying exercise effects in Alzheimer’s disease and MASH. He joined Prof David James’s lab in 2023, applying systems biology and analytical methods, including AI based image analysis, to identify novel drivers and targets in metabolic disease.

Kevin Wu is a PhD candidate at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. His research focuses on energy homeostasis, diabetes, and the metabolic effects of dietary salt and islet biology, with particular interest in how Y4 receptor signalling influences islet transplantation outcomes and glycaemic control.

Yi Lin completed a combined degree of Bachelor of Advanced Computing (Honours) and Bachelor of Science (Medical Science) at the University of Sydney. In 2023, he joined the David James lab as a Dalyell Scholar and CPC Research Scholar, later beginning a PhD focused on adipose tissue insulin action.

Amanda Purcell is a final-year PhD candidate at the University of Sydney’s Kolling Institute. Her research focuses on type 1 diabetes, obesity, and incretin-based therapies, with particular interest in tirzepatide. She works across preclinical and translational research to improve metabolic health and reduce diabetes-related complications.

Saee is a final year PhD student at Mater Research, University of Queensland. Her work focuses on use of pre-clinical animal models, cell culture models and human kidney cell models of diabetes with kidney disease to identify potential biomarkers and targeted therapies for diabetic kidney disease.