Jane Speight is the world’s leading behavioural diabetes researcher, with over 300 peer-reviewed publications and a global reputation for advancing compassion-driven, evidence-based diabetes care.

Jane Speight is an internationally respected health psychologist and behavioural diabetes researcher, known for placing lived experience, empathy, and behavioural science at the centre of diabetes care. Trained in the UK and holding a PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London, she relocated to Australia in 2010 to become the Foundation Director of the Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes (ACBRD) and Professor at Deakin University.

Her work focuses on understanding the emotional, social, and psychological realities of living with diabetes and translating those insights into meaningful improvements in care, policy, and health systems worldwide. A global leader in addressing diabetes distress and stigma, Jane has co-led international consensus efforts and guidelines that have reshaped how diabetes care is delivered—making it more humane, equitable, and person-centred.

Through large-scale research programs, global collaborations, and mentorship of future leaders, Jane continues to advocate for a future where emotional wellbeing is treated as essential as medical treatment, ensuring that advances in diabetes care benefit those most often left behind.