David Bennett

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 Director 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 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'. 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. In 2004 he was elected as National President of the Association for the Welfare of Child Health (AWCH).

David 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’.