Career

Dr Hare’s journey began at Monash University, where he completed his medical degree and an Honours year at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. Under the mentorship of renowned researchers such as Professor Paul Zimmet AO, Professor Dianna Magliano OAM, and Professor Jonathan Shaw, Dr Hare completed an honours project in diabetes epidemiology and diagnostic strategies. A subsequent elective at the University of Cambridge further cemented his interest in diabetes epidemiology and public health.

Diabetes Australia grant

In 2019, Dr Hare relocated to the Northern Territory to begin a PhD under Professor Louise Maple-Brown, supported by an NHMRC scholarship and a top-up grant from Diabetes Australia. This funding was pivotal, enabling him to investigate the staggeringly high burden of diabetes among remote Aboriginal communities, particularly in Central Australia, where up to 40% of adults are estimated to be living with type 2 diabetes. In addition, there are soaring rates of gestational diabetes, and increasing numbers of young people being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

“This has profound intergenerational impacts,” Dr Hare explains. “We’re seeing younger onset of diabetes with each generation, and an increased risk of chronic conditions in children born to mothers with diabetes. Young people are starting to experience major diabetes complications, such as heart disease and kidney failure, in their teens and twenties.”

Findings drive advocacy

Dr Hare’s findings have driven advocacy efforts, including contributions to the Parliamentary Diabetes Inquiry, and the creation of the Remote Antenatal Diabetes Support service (RADS), a flexible model of care co-led by Dr Hare that includes telehealth, case conferencing, and face-to-face support for women through pregnancy and beyond. He’s also leading the iCARE for Diabetes in Pregnancy Study, a $3 million project funded by the Medical Research Futures Fund. iCARE works in partnership with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in East Arnhem Land to provide continuous glucose monitors to all women with diabetes in pregnancy, supported by Aboriginal peer workers and culturally appropriate care pathways.

Culturally-safe models of care

While research has revealed the scale of the problem, Dr Hare is determined to focus on solutions. His projects increasingly move beyond epidemiology to practical, community-led interventions. “The next phase is about developing sustainable, culturally safe models of care and building the local workforce,” he explains. “We need Aboriginal people in these communities trained and supported to deliver care and research.”

Kidney disease devastates communities

Kidney disease is another urgent priority. More than 90% of dialysis patients in the Northern Territory are Aboriginal, with most cases linked to diabetes. “We’re seeing people in their twenties needing dialysis, and mothers in their early thirties having to move away from their remote communities for treatment,” Dr Hare says. “It’s devastating for families and so disruptive to the upbringing of the next generation who then struggle with their own chronic health issues. The focus has to be on preventing people reaching this stage.” His team is working on ways to ensure new diabetes therapies reach the people who need them most, in a way that respects cultural needs and local contexts.

Despite the challenges Dr Hare remains hopeful.

“Diabetes Australia has played a really important part in my own career journey. Their support has been pivotal,” says Dr Hare. “They funded my PhD and helped me establish my research program. That kind of investment is absolutely essential to attracting and retaining researchers in this space.”

Diabetes Australia shaping the future of diabetes research

In today’s funding climate, staying in academia is increasingly difficult. Dr Hare emphasises that support from organisations like Diabetes Australia is not just helpful, it’s critical. “They’re not only backing individual researchers, they’re actively shaping the future of diabetes research in Australia.”

Looking ahead, Dr Hare is focused on translational research and workforce development. He advocates for building local capacity by training Aboriginal health workers and researchers, and aiming for sustainable, culturally safe care. His work is not only about improving outcomes for people with diabetes but is also focused on empowering communities and reshaping the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in Australia.