Indigenous people have a 15 to 20 year shorter life expectancy than the overall Australian population. Diabetes and related conditions, including heart and kidney disease, are major contributors to this reduced longevity. The Preventable Chronic Diseases Division’s research will initially focus on treatment and prevention of diabetes, the use of community monitoring tools to evaluate tobacco control interventions and promotion of healthy eating and active lifestyles within Indigenous communities. The growth of this division to tackle better prevention and treatment of other chronic diseases will be a strategic priority for the MSHR.