The University of Sydney, NSW Associate Professor Ruth Colagiuri Director Health and Sustainability, Menzies Centre for Health Policy The University of Sydney Ruth Colagiuri has worked extensively in diabetes clinical care, patient education, health services research, and health policy. Ruth has co-led the development of and co-authored 11 NHMRC guidelines for diabetes including a guideline on patient education. She has published in the area of patient education including a Cochrane review of individual education, clinical diabetes care, chronic disease issues and authored seminal technical and policy reports including the development of an (Australian) National Consensus Position on Outcomes and Indicators for Diabetes Patient Education. Ruth was a co-founder and early Chair of the National Association of Diabetes Centres and has been active in the development of quality improvement mechanisms including standards and competencies for diabetes educators. She is a past Vice President of the International Diabetes Federation, Diabetes Australia and ADEA and, in 2002, was awarded life membership of the ADEA for her services to diabetes education. Her main current interest is in the link between chronic diseases and economic and social development