Professor Mette Juel Rothmann is Program Leader for Diabetes Care and User and Public Involvement at Steno Diabetes Center Odense and Senior Researcher at CIMT at Odense University Hospital and the University of Southern Denmark. A Clinical Nurse Specialist with more than 20 years of experience in diabetes and endocrinology, her research focuses on empowering people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes through digital health solutions and evidence-based interventions. She uses participatory design to engage patients, relatives, and healthcare professionals in co-creating services and technologies and serves as Principal Investigator on multiple major studies.

Chris Lee is a First Nations cultural leader and passionate diabetes advocate. Diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2013, he worked across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media, justice, and community-controlled health and wellbeing for more than 40 years. He was engaged as the inaugural National Manager for Engagement and Education under the inaugural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and engagement strategy at a national Diabetes advocacy organisation. He chairs the University of Sydney T1Diabetes First Nations Governance Committee and recently spoke at the International Diabetes Stigma Conference in Jaipur, India, promoting trauma-safe, culturally grounded approaches to diabetes care.

Dr Akbar is a Senior Lecturer with the School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Science at the University of Queensland. A respected Pacific researcher and community leader, Dr Akbar’s work centres Pacific knowledge systems, Pacific Health models, and Indigenous participatory methodologies to co-design and co-create transformative solutions that advance systems change. Her research and practice focus on the cultural and social determinants of health, driving health equity for First Nations, Māori, Pasifika, and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities across Australia and internationally. Renowned for her commitment to community-led research, Dr Akbar specialises in elevating community and consumer voices through genuine partnerships, advocacy, and capacity building. Her work bridges academia, policy, and practice, ensuring that culturally grounded evidence translates into real-world impact—particularly in areas of chronic conditions prevention and management, health systems strengthening, and culturally responsive models of care.