The new Chair of Diabetes will become a pivotal part of a major new research and teaching initiative at the University; the Centre of Obesity, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease will aim to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of these and related conditions.

Australian Diabetes Council President Dr Neville Howard said “This will be the first Chair of Diabetes in Australia dedicated to medical research, and a unique interdisciplinary approach based on collaboration between world class research groups from diverse backgrounds.”

The focal point of the centre will be a $385 million facility housing 800 researchers and providing state-of-the-art research facilities for the University and its partners, including clinical research and educational facilities that will allow the Centre’s discoveries to be tested and put into practice.

Construction work on the building is expected to begin in December 2010 and be completed in December 2013.

In addition, the Dietitians Association of Australia will launch the fourth annual Australia’s Healthy Weight Week (AHWW) on 23 January 2011.

Under the theme ‘Live your life: weight matters’, the dietitians will be encouraging Australians to live life to the full by kick-starting a healthier lifestyle and avoiding obesity-related diseases like heart disease.