Prof Josephine Forbes
Group Leader
Professor Josephine Forbes is a leading Australian scientist and researcher dedicated to improving the lives of people living with diabetes. Based at Mater Research and The University of Queensland, she leads internationally recognised programs focused on preventing diabetes and its complications—particularly diabetic kidney disease, a major cause of illness and early death worldwide.
Her work spans discovery science through to clinical translation. She and her team investigate how diabetes damages the body at a molecular level—especially the role of metabolism, mitochondria and inflammation—and use these insights to develop new therapies and biomarkers. This research has already contributed to clinical trials and is helping to shape the next generation of treatments aimed at slowing or preventing disease progression.
A strong advocate for earlier intervention, Professor Forbes has been instrumental in demonstrating that complications such as kidney disease can begin much earlier than previously thought, including in young people. This has driven her focus on prevention, precision medicine and improving outcomes across the life course.
Professor Forbes is President of the Australian Diabetes Society and plays a key role in shaping national research and health policy convening stakeholders to produce the first National Diabetes Research Strategy. She works closely with clinicians, industry and people living with diabetes to ensure research delivers real-world impact.
Her contributions have been recognised globally, with more than 200 publications, over 18,000 citations and consistent ranking among the top scientists worldwide
“Diabetes has become so prevalent that it touches all of our lives. My inspiration is to discover something that will better someone's life.”
Research interests
Endocrinology - Clinical Sciences
