Young Professionals Network / Red de Jóvenes Profesionales
The Young Professionals Network (YPN) aims to provide diverse opportunities for early career professionals around the world to further develop their knowledge, skills, and experience in adolescent health. The YPN aspires to promote collaboration and build relationships between early career professionals and expert leaders in the field of global adolescent health.
La Red de Jóvenes Profesionales (YPN, por sus siglas en inglés) tiene como objetivo ofrecer diversas oportunidades a los profesionales que inician su carrera en todo el mundo para que sigan desarrollando sus conocimientos, habilidades y experiencia en la salud de los adolescentes. La YPN aspira a promover la colaboración y establecer relaciones entre los profesionales que inician su carrera y los líderes expertos en el campo de la salud global de los adolescentes.
IAAH YPN Mentorship Program on Research in Global Adolescent Health
With a focus on research, our inaugural mentorship program aims to facilitate leadership and career development in global adolescent health. For more information and to apply, click here.
Mentorship Program Application
IAAH Young Professionals Network Membership Form / formulario de afiliación a la red de jóvenes profesionales de la IAAH
Are you a student / trainee / early career professional (within 10 years in your respective field)? Do you work in adolescent health? Do you want to connect with other young professionals? Join our global Young Professionals Network! We are creating a diverse network with opportunities for education and training, leadership and mentoring, as well as opportunities to engage with fellow members.
To join the IAAH-YPN, please complete our membership form: https://is.gd/iaahypnjoin
¿Es usted un estudiante / aprendiz / profesional que comienza su carrera (dentro de los 10 años en su campo respectivo)? ¿Trabajas en salud adolescente? ¿Quieres conectarte con otros jóvenes profesionales? ¡Únase a nuestra red global de jóvenes profesionales! Estamos creando una red diversa con oportunidades de educación y capacitación, liderazgo y tutoría, así como oportunidades para interactuar con otros miembros.
Para unirse a IAAH-YPN, complete nuestro formulario de membresía: https://is/gd/iaahypnjoins
YPN Communications Committee
• Goal: To advance the knowledge, skills, and experience of young professionals in global adolescent health.
• Objective: To create a digital space where young professionals interested in adolescent health can exchange, learn and grow.
YPN Community Engagement Committee
• Goal: To create, maintain, and foster the IAAH Young Professionals Network.
• Objective: To manage the Young Professionals Network membership database.
YPN Education and Training Committee
• Goal: To form a comprehensive education network.
• Objectives: To determine country/region specific educational needs; create education opportunities for students, trainees, and early career professionals; and foster global training opportunities in global adolescent health.
To view the YPN Education and Training Resource List, click here.
To view the YPN Webinars, click here.
YPN Leadership and Mentorship Committee
• Goals:
– To promote collaboration and supporting relationships between early career professionals and senior professionals / leaders in global adolescent health.
– To facilitate mentorship between IAAH Council, YPN, IAAH members and early career professionals to advance their knowledge and leadership skills.
• Objectives: To identify current gaps within the field of adolescent health and medicine; to establish a geographical spread of target audience.
YPN COMMITTEE MEMBERS
- All
- Co-Chairs
- Communications Committee
- Community Engagement Committee
- Education & Training Committee
- Leadership & Mentorship Committee
- Secretary

Akinsanya Blessing Tomiwa
Institute of Child Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Akinsanya Blessing Tomiwa
Tomiwa has been involved in child and adolescent health development for more than seven years. With an MPH in Child and Adolescent Health from the University of Ibadan Nigeria and experience working in both the public and development sector (i.e., Institute of Child Health, University of Ibadan and World Health Organization amongst others). She is very passionate about bridging the gap between young people and obtainable digital health solutions to promote their overall health and wellbeing.

Alina Cosma
Alina Cosma is a researcher with extensive experience in the design and management of cross-sectional health surveys focusing on child and adolescent health and well-being. Currently, she holds a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Individual Fellowship at Trinity College Dublin (Project GenerationZ). Her project explores contemporary perspectives on adolescent mental health.

Chinye Osa-Afiana
Chinye Osa-Afiana is an experienced implementation science and public health researcher. She is a trained peer educator with the passion to debunk myths surrounding sexual and reproductive health issues amongst adolescents. Chinye is committed to providing innovative solutions to health equity and gender equality in low-middle-income countries.

Dyana Safitri Velies
Dyana Safitri Velies is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Universitas Pelita Harapan Indonesia, also works in Siloam Hospitals. She is a Social Obstetrics and Gynecology consultant. Her main areas of interest are Pediatric Adolescent Gynecology, Family Planning, and developing Youth Friendly Service in Indonesia. She is a co-founder of Indonesian Association for Adolescent Health (AKAR Indonesia) and currently involved in developing Comprehensive Sexual Education for national school health curricula.

Emma Rengasamy
Emma Rengasamy is a doctor training in General Practice and is currently completing an Academic Clinical Fellowship in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge. Her interests include: child and adolescent health, mental health, and global health. She completed her medical training in Cardiff, Wales and also has a BSc in Medical Genetics. She has previously represented medical students and foundation doctors as the Wales representative in the Royal College of Physicians Student and Foundation Doctor Network. She also obtained a Foundation fellowship award from the Royal College of Psychiatry. She has been involved in academic projects on a range of topics including: paediatrics, medical education and public health. She is also part of the SARS-CoV-Neuro Collaboration Research Group investigating the neuropsychiatric manifestations of COVID-19 and part of the Mauritius Global Health Collaboration.

Franck Nziza
Franck is medical doctor, health blogger, One young World ambassador; CEO and co-founder of Ndakira Group (www.ndakira.net); the first online platform in Burundi providing health education with accurate and easy-to-access information. Franck is the President of Burundi Health Informatics Association and he is passionate about health advocacy, social entrepreneurship, research, youth and adolescent health, NCDs and e-health.

James Wang
James Wang, MD, FRCPC, is a board-certified pediatrician based in Vancouver, Canada and is currently completing a subspecialty fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at the University of British Columbia. His academic interests include health care disparities and youth in the child welfare system. He is fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese.

Joemer Maravilla
Joemer is a public health researcher with a specialised focus on adolescent health epidemiology and program evaluation. He has expertise in identifying social determinants and mental health risks in adolescents including young mothers. He also has extensive experience in evaluation of reproductive and mental health services as well as domestic violence prevention programs.

Manasi Gupta
Manasi Gupta is the founder of Huesofthemind and is a mental health advocate. She encourages mental wellbeing through her workshops, having delivered 40+ talks worldwide. She is also a published author of the book, Hues of You. She has driven impact for different SDGs in multiple international organisations.

Melis Pehlivanturk-Kizilkan
Hacettepe University Medical School, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine
Melis Pehlivanturk-Kizilkan
Melis Pehlivantürk-Kızılkan is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara. She is a doctoral student specializing in adolescent medicine at the Hacettepe University Institute of Child Health, Adolescent Health PhD Program. Her research interests include eating disorders, bone health, obesity, and internet gaming disorder. She is interested in reducing health inequities and she has served in various underserved regions of Turkey. She is passionate about advancing adolescent health education nationally and globally.

Molly O’Sullivan
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, International Association for Adolescent Health, Australian Association for Adolescent Health, KT Australia
Molly O’Sullivan
Molly O’Sullivan is an experienced research coordinator, health communicator, and program manager with an extensive and varied history of working in public health and clinical trials within the paediatric and adolescent research industry. Molly has expertise in health and research communications with a focus on research impact to optimise the uptake of research into policy and practice as well as ensuring research is accessible and useful for the community.

Pancho Mulongeni
Pancho Mulongeni is a Namibian writer and health communications specialist currently pursuing his PhD in public health, focusing on alcohol and other drug use amongst young people in Australia, at the University of New South Wales. Pancho completed his Master’s degree in public health at the University of Cape Town as well as a fellowship in adolescent health at the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation. Pancho has participated in public dialogue surrounding public health by contributing to the largest circulating newspaper in Namibia, The Namibian, choosing to focus on the political determinants of health.

Priya Shankar
Priya is a pediatrician and public health advocate with a passion for gender equality and global adolescent health. As a pediatrician, she has seen firsthand the important role that peer influence plays in a young person’s understanding of their own health and in 2016 she co-founded Adolescent Health Champions to train youth as peer educators.

Roberto Delgado Zapata
Roberto Delgado Zapata, MD, MPH, is a physician and researcher. He is currently a Clinical Instructor at the Colorado School of Public Health and Investigator at the Center for Global Health. His global health work focuses on pregnancy prevention, STDs, and HIV/AIDS among adolescents in Guatemala. His areas of interests include SRHR, adolescent participation and leadership, eating disorders and technology addiction.

Ruby Diaz Arotoma
Ruby is a public and global health professional committed to improving knowledge, attitudes and practices towards individual, family and community well-being at different levels. With special interest on sensitization on, positioning of, and advocacy for adolescent health as an important issue to address; in order to protect an invisibilized but highly productive population.

Stefan Murray
Stefan Murray completed undergraduate medical education and specialist training at the University of the West Indies. As a hospitalist Paediatrician working in an under-served community in rural Trinidad, he is passionate about patient education, health promotion and advocacy, especially in the adolescent population. He is pursuing a career in Adolescent Health, with interest in SRH and related policies, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Stephanie Partridge
The University of Sydney, Westmead Applied Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health
Stephanie Partridge
Dr Stephanie Partridge is a Senior Research Fellow (funded by a NHMRC/National Heart Foundation Early Career Fellowship) and Accredited Practising Dietitian at the University of Sydney. Her research is focused on improving nutrition and physical activity behaviours to prevent obesity and chronic diseases in young people. Her research is centered on digital health and has a strong focus youth engagement. She currently co-designs research with young people to find scalable, low-cost, and engaging solutions.

Surabhi Dogra
Surabhi is a health communications professional from India. She has worked with adolescents, children and women in urban low-income and rural communities. She is a Youth Commissioner of the Lancet Standing Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing. Surabhi holds a Master's degree in Social Work in Public Health and Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication.
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