Professor David Bennett AO MBBS FRACP FSAM
Head, Centre for the Advancement of Adolescent Health

David Bennett is an adolescent health physician with a major interest in the development of integrated, creative health services for young people and their families. He pioneered Australia's first hospital-based adolescent medical unit, was longstanding Head of Adolescent Medicine at The Children's Hospital at Westmead (1977 - 2004) and is currently Head of the NSW Centre for the Advancement of Adolescent Health. In the latter role, he is actively involved in wide-ranging efforts to improve the health and well-being of young people through technical support, applied research, professional education & training, advocacy and policy development.

David was appointed as Clinical Associate Professor in Adolescent Medicine with the University of Sydney in 1994 and honoured with an AO (Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia) in 1995 for 'service to medicine, particularly in the field of adolescent health and medical care'. He is a member of the Children's and Young People's Health Priority Taskforce, NSW Health, the Youth Interagency Taskforce, NSW Department of Community Services, and the National Youth Careers and Transitions Advisory Group, Department of Health, Education and Training. He is the National President of the Association for the Welfare of Child Health.

At the international level, David is a foundation member and Past President of the International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH), has been a Consultant with the World Health Organisation and serves on the editorial boards of several international journals. He is married with four 'adult' children and co-author (with Dr Leanne Rowe) of What to do when your children turn into teenagers and You can't make me: Seven simple rules for parenting teenagers.