Professor Elif Ekinci is a clinician scientist, an academic endocrinologist who is working to translate research into improved outcomes for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Her research is focused on the pathophysiology, prevention, detection and treatment of diabetes and its complications in humans. She is the Head of Department of Medicine at the University of Melbourne and overseas the Department of Medicine activity across The University of Melbourne affiliated hospitals including Austin Health, Melbourne Health, Northern Health, Western Health and St Vincent's Health. She is also the Weary Dunlop Medical Research Foundation Professorial Fellow in Metabolic Medicine and Dame Kate Campbell Fellow at The University of Melbourne. The Dame Kate Campbell Fellowship is given to researchers recognising incredible contributions to the University of Melbourne for outstanding research and wider involvement in our local community and across the globe. She is also the Head of Diabetes research at Austin Health, where she heads diabetes and obesity clinical trials at the Centre for Research and Education in Diabetes and Obesity. Prof Ekinci is the inaugural director of Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations (ACADI). ACADI will deliver novel interventions for timely diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications with the access to clinical evaluation, leadership and networks, research commercialisation experience and workforce training. ACADI's design responds to key barriers slowing Australian development of innovations.

Professor Glen Noonan is Chief Executive Officer of Diabetes Victoria and Founder of the Diabetes Innovation and Impact Foundation. He is also an Honorary Enterprise Professor at The University of Melbourne and an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Health at Deakin University. Glen is a recognised leader in health system transformation, diabetes policy, prevention and research impact, with more than 35 years’ experience across the health, research and corporate sectors. As CEO of Diabetes Victoria, he leads the organisation’s work across diabetes prevention, advocacy, policy, health services, community programs, research and philanthropy, with a strong focus on translating evidence and innovation into improved health outcomes for people living with diabetes. He has led the establishment of the Diabetes Innovation and Impact Foundation, an initiative designed to accelerate investment in world-class diabetes research, innovation and translational impact. This includes strategic research partnerships with the Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabates Innovations (ACADI) and the Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes (ACBRD). Prior to joining Diabetes Victoria, Glen spent 33 years at PwC Australia, including 24 years as a Senior Partner, where he led major transformation programs across health, government and community sectors. He also serves as the Co-Chair of Victoria’s Public Health and Wellbeing Sector Advisory Group and is a Director of The Royal Women's Hospital. His leadership is informed by both extensive executive experience and personal experience as a parent of a child living with type 1 diabetes.

Dr. Longfield is an Early Career Postdoctoral Researcher working within the Kolling Institute of Medical Research and Department of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology at the Royal North Shore Hospital under the leadership if Prof. Sarah Glastras. Her work spans clinical trials and basic science research focusing on clinical translation. Dr. Longfield received a 2025 ACADI ECR seed grant to progress her work developing a novel organoid model that recapitulates key features of diabetes-related kidney disease in-vitro.

Dr Cong Xie is an early career clinical research fellow at Adelaide University. His research focuses on understanding the physiology and pathophysiology underlying the regulation of postprandial glycaemia, with a particular interest in the role of taste signalling pathways in glucose metabolism in both health and type 2 diabetes.

Professor Elif Ekinci is a clinician scientist, an academic endocrinologist who is working to translate research into improved outcomes for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Her research is focused on the pathophysiology, prevention, detection and treatment of diabetes and its complications in humans. She is the Head of Department of Medicine at the University of Melbourne and overseas the Department of Medicine activity across The University of Melbourne affiliated hospitals including Austin Health, Melbourne Health, Northern Health, Western Health and St Vincent's Health. She is also the Weary Dunlop Medical Research Foundation Professorial Fellow in Metabolic Medicine and Dame Kate Campbell Fellow at The University of Melbourne. The Dame Kate Campbell Fellowship is given to researchers recognising incredible contributions to the University of Melbourne for outstanding research and wider involvement in our local community and across the globe. She is also the Head of Diabetes research at Austin Health, where she heads diabetes and obesity clinical trials at the Centre for Research and Education in Diabetes and Obesity. Prof Ekinci is the inaugural director of Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations (ACADI). ACADI will deliver novel interventions for timely diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications with the access to clinical evaluation, leadership and networks, research commercialisation experience and workforce training. ACADI's design responds to key barriers slowing Australian development of innovations.