Professor James Best MBBS, MD, FRACP, FRCPath, FRCP Edin
Prof James Best is Head, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne and Chair, NHMRC Research Committee, and member of Council.
Prof Best graduated in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Melbourne in 1972.
He trained in Endocrinology at SVH and in diabetes research at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
Prof Best was appointed as Prof of Medicine at the University of Melbourne and Head, Dept of Medicine (SVH) from 1999, resigning in 2007 to become Head, Melbourne Medical School.
Prof Best has had a major commitment to clinical research for over 30 years, with more than 125 peer-reviewed clinical publications, particularly in the fields of diabetes, insulin resistance, lipid disorders, renal disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Clinical research has included studies of glucose and lipid metabolism in insulin resistant states, pharmacological treatments for diabetes and lipid disorders (within and separate from clinical trials), epidemiology of CVD risk factors and nutritional markers in Indigenous Australian communities and other community and patient cohorts. Prof Best is a Chief Investigator on an NHMRC Program Grant in Indigenous Health and is on the management committee executive for the FIELD study (a clinical trial in 10,000 people with type 2 diabetes) run by the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre. He is a Chief Investigator on the Greater Green Triangle Diabetes Prevention Project which led to the development and rollout of the Life! Program for diabetes prevention in 25,000 people at high risk.
Prof Best has taught extensively during his career, especially on the topic of diabetes and metabolism. He was actively involved in development of the current University of Melbourne medical curriculum, particularly the subject "Nutrition, Digestion and Metabolism" that includes diabetes. Prof Best’s research has involved physiological and molecular studies of glucose disposal, as well as studies of lipid biochemistry and epidemiological and clinical studies of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in diabetes. He is the leading Chief Investigator and convener for the NHMRC CCRE - Clinical Science in Diabetes.
Prof Best has contributed to and led development of guidelines for lipid management, particularly in relation to diabetes and to kidney disease for NHMRC, Heart Foundation and Diabetes Australia over the past 15 years.
Find out more about James Best's experience
James Best's highlights
FEATURED Journal article
Recommendations for promoting healthier lifestyles in postpartum women after gestational diabetes.
Read moreJames Best's selected work
Projects
Displaying the 15 most recent projects by James Best.
Project Types
14
Research Grant
1
Internal Research Grant
Scholarly Works
Displaying the 117 most recent scholarly works by James Best.
Keyword Analysis
Honours, Awards and Fellowships
FRCP(Edin) - Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh
FRCPath - Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists
FRACP - Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Credentials
Positions
Honorary
Medicine And Radiology
Education
Honorary MD
University of St Andrews
Doctor of Medicine
University of Melbourne
Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery
University of Melbourne