Meet the 2026 Young Physician Leaders: 22 physicians, 21 countries, one global network

The IAP has selected the 2026 cohort of Young Physician Leaders (YPL), bringing together 22 physicians from across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

Now in its 15th year, the YPL programme supports physicians under 40 who are developing careers not only as clinicians and researchers, but also as educators, public health professionals and health policy leaders. More than 280+ physicians have joined the YPL alumni network since the programme began.

The 2026 cohort reflects the breadth of health leadership today. The new YPLs work in areas ranging from neurology, oncology and infectious diseases to public health, medical education, health policy and health systems. They come from Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Germany, Hong Kong SAR China, India, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Nigeria, the Palestinian Territories, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa and Taiwan.

Among them are physicians working in major universities and teaching hospitals, national health institutions, research organisations and healthcare systems. Several combine clinical practice with research and policy work, while others are developing new approaches to health education, public health and health-system improvement.

The cohort will meet in Berlin from 8 to 11 October 2026, alongside the World Health Summit. The programme combines leadership development with exposure to international health policy discussions and opportunities to exchange perspectives with peers and established leaders in global health.

Meet the cohort here by clicking on YPL Directory in the top menu of the programme.