Jean Claude Mbanya (MD, PhD, MRCP (UK), FRCP (London) is Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology at the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Director Biotechnology Center and Postgraduate Dean Doctoral School of Life Sciences, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1. He is also Consultant Physician and Director of the National Obesity Centre at the University Teaching Hospital in Yaoundé. He is Honorary President of the International Diabetes Federation. His research interests are in the epidemiology of non-communicable diseases, especially diabetes and its complications, ethno-pharmacology and molecular biology of diabetes, hypertension, and thyroid diseases and their impact on the health care systems of developing countries. Output from his scientific research and service career has been published in 27 international book chapters and 190 papers indexed in peer-reviewed journals.

Among numerous other outstanding achievements for diabetes, as President of the International Diabetes Federation (2009 - 2012), he championed the convening of the first ever United Nations High Level Summit on non-communicable diseases held in 2011. His outstanding achievements have been recognised widely around the world. Among others, he was the 2004 recipient of the American Diabetes Association Harold Rifkin Award for Distinguished International Service in the Cause of Diabetes. In 2011 he was conferred the degree of Doctor philosophiae honoris causa by the University of Oslo for significant scientific contribution and work of outstanding quality furthering the scientific endeavour. He is fellow of Cameroon Academy of Sciences and Dean of Biological Sciences of the Academy. He is also fellow of the Third World Academy of Sciences. He has also served for several years as Member WHO African Advisory Committee on Health Research and Development (AACHRD), WHO Expert Advisory Panel on Chronic Degenerative Diseases Diabetes and WHO Committee on Classification and Diagnosis of Diabetes.