Professor Elif Ekinci is an endocrinologist, clinician–scientist and Head of the Department of Medicine at the University of Melbourne. She is also Director of the Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations (ACADI), a national research collaboration accelerating translation of diabetes research into clinical practice. Her work focuses on diabetes complications, improving access to specialist care and reducing health inequities. Professor Ekinci has authored more than 240 publications and secured over $50 million in research funding. Her research has influenced international clinical guidelines and driven innovations in diabetes care and clinical trial networks.

Dr. Marlena Klaic, Director of the ACADI Implementation Science Platform, is an international leader in implementation science, securing over $12 million for large-scale implementation trials. She coordinates Australia’s only Specialist Certificate in Implementation Science and developed the Framework of Implementability of Healthcare Interventions to drive research translation.