Aaron is a PhD candidate with the David James Lab at the University of Sydney where he studies the molecular mechanisms regulating adipose tissue expandability and its role in cardiometabolic disease.

Multidisciplinary researcher and exercise physiologist with over 10 years of experience specializing in diabetes, metabolism, skeletal muscle biology, and exercise physiology.

Chenxu Loki Yan investigates the crosstalk between brown adipose tissue (BAT) and pancreatic β-cells in the regulation of glucose homeostasis and energy metabolism. His research focuses on neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying metabolic disease, with the goal of identifying new therapeutic strategies for type 2 diabetes.

Hayley Webster is a second-year PhD candidate in the Islet Biology and Metabolism Laboratory at the Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, supervised by A. Prof. Melkam Kebede. Her research investigates insulin secretory granule biology and the molecular mechanisms driving beta-cell dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetes.

Mr Cutler is a final year PhD student supervised by Professor David James at the University of Sydney. His research aims to understand how genetic differences between individuals alter susceptibility to metabolic disease in obesogenic environments, using systems-biology approaches such as mass spectrometry and adeno-associated viruses.

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.

Braden is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Adelaide University, his research investigates the role of intestinal sweet sensing in glycaemic control and its potential as a novel therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes, as well as the glycaemic consequences of non-nutritive sweeteners in health and type 2 diabetes.

Sarah Gates completed her Honours year in 2025 under the supervision of A/Prof. Melkam Kebede and continues research in her lab on pancreatic β-cell biology. Her work focuses on insulin secretory granules—organelles responsible for insulin storage, maturation, and release—and how disruptions in granule dynamics contribute to β-cell dysfunction in diabetes.