Thank you for attending!
A Voice for Children
The 4th Annual Academy of Child and Adolescent Health Conference took place in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday 19 – Saturday 21 October 2023.
This year’s theme, “A Voice for Children”, featured inspiring talks by passionate clinicians on important topics such as Global and Refugee Health, Mental Health, and Rural and Remote Children. Attendees from various health disciplines including medical doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, students and trainees connected and learned from powerful stories and patient experiences.
We look forward to seeing you in 2024!
Thanks to our Presenters
Prof Frank Oberklaid AM
Foundation Director of Centre for Community Child Health, Royal Children's Hospital; Co-Chair of National Children's Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy Working Group
Prof Les White AM
Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics; Inaugural NSW Chief Paediatrician (2010- 2016); Executive Director Sydney Children's Hospital (1995-2010)
A/Prof Georgia Paxton OAM
Lead of Royal Children's Hospital Immigrant Health Service ; Victorian Honour Roll Inductee for Services to Refugee Health
Dr Andrew Tagg
Emergency Physician; Co-Founder of "Don't Forget The Bubbles"; Victorian Wellbeing Champion for ACEM
Carlie Alicastro
Child Life Therapist, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne; Host and Co- Producer of RCHTV and Hospital Lingo; Masters Student in Child Play Therapy
A/Prof Jane Munro
Paediatric Rheumatologist, Royal Children's Hospital; Member of Victorian Government COVID Taskforce for Healthcare Worker Wellbeing
Kate Renzenbrink RN MACN CHIA
Digital Health Adviser, Australian Digital Health Agency; Former Chief of Nursing & Midwifery, Informatics Officer, Western Health
Dr Bo Remenyi
Paediatric Cardiologist, Royal Darwin Hospital; Northern Territory Australian of the Year 2018
Prof Kim Oates AO
Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics; Previous CEO of Children’s Hospital at Westmead; Former President of International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect
Prof Hasantha Gunasekera
Professor of Paediatric Priority Populations, Children’s Hospital Westmead Clinical School, University of Sydney, Paediatrician and ACAH Board member.
Dr Shabna Rajapaksa
General Paediatrician; Co-Head of Paediatrics at Grampians Health, Ballarat.
Dr Eric Levi
Consultant ENT Surgeon, Royal Children's Hospital; Honorary Fellow, Murdoch Research Children's Institute; #Medtwitter influencer
Jennifer Darvas
Mercy Ships Volunteer in West Africa PICU Nurse Practitioner and Researcher, Children's Hospital at Westmead
Dr Nikola Morton
Médecins Sans Frontières Medical Advisor for Paediatrics; Sydney Children's Hospital Network Board Member
Saad Alkassab
Australian-Syrian Refugee; TEDx Speaker; Messenger of Peace Award Recipient; Medical Student, Melbourne University
Prof Karen Zwi OAM
Consultant Community Paediatrician at Sydney Children’s Hospital (SCH), Conjoint Professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Head of the Department of Community Child Health, and the Clinical Director for Priority Populations at Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network (SCHN).
Child and Adolescent Health Champion Award 2023
Congratulations to Professor David Isaacs on winning the Child and Adolescent Health Champion Award for 2023.
The Academy established the ACAH Champion Awards in 2022 to recognise passionate, innovative people, from diverse backgrounds, who are gamechangers in Child and Adolescent Health!
The difference between these awards and other honours, is that these awards are peer-nominated and peer-voted.
Image credit: Four Corners @4Corners
Congratulations to our Abstract Winners 2023
ACAH Scholarship winners:
Presenters: Joel Brookes & Lani Puse
“Chronic Conundrums: Elevating the Voices of Young People with Lived Experiences”
Co-Authors: 1 Jourdan Hancock (P) 2 Deanna Darwall (P)
Affiliations: 1 (Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network) 2 (same + University of Sydney)
Student & Trainee Prize:
Presenter: Jessica Sun
“Experiences of transition from paediatric to adult care: urinary incontinence within New South Wales”,
Co-Authors: 1 Jessica Sun (C) (P), 2 Isabella Nilsson (P), 3 Saurav Jain, 4 Ella Karbonowicz, 5 Christopher Bazzocco, 6 Hayden Segboer, 7 Kara Place, 8 Trisha Narula, 9 Patrina Caldwell Author Affiliation: 1 University of Sydney, 2 University of Sydney, 3 University of Sydney, 4 University of Sydney, 5 University of Sydney, 6 University of Sydney, 7 University of Sydney, 7 University of Sydney, 9 University of Sydney and Sydney Childrens Hospital Network (Westmead)
Overall Research Prize:
Presenter: Madeleine Dodd
“400 Pairs of Deadly Ears – A Yarrabah Perspective of Ear Health”
Clevanna Messer (P), Stanley Yeatman, Sheanah Ludwick, Martina Grimshaw, Michelle Thorne-Stones, Emma Johnson, Gemma Paynter, Sarah Fairhall and Madeleine Dodd (C)
Affiliation: Gurriny Yealamucka Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service
ACAH23 Gallery
Hear from our previous attendees
First trip out of Queensland, networking, quality of conference discussions and sessions. Great not just to hear about lists of causes or new drug management, but to spend time on “wicked problems” effecting our lives/work. Also to listen to passionate people where their job is a vocation!
Delegate, ACAH2022
I enjoyed connecting with like-minded people who are passionate about working to improve, and advocating for, children and young people’s health. The breadth and depth of accumulated experience of attendees and presenters at the conference was really inspiring to see.
Delegate, ACAH2022
Excellent conference – covered very topical issues in Paediatrics with each speaker best suited to speak on each. Very well organised. Thankyou.
Delegate, ACAH2022
2023 Sponsors
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BUILT BY
The Academy of Child and Adolescent Health acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.