Abhinav Anne

Abhinav Anne is a high school senior planning to study neuroscience and global health on the pre-medical track. He serves as the youngest appointed World Health Organization (WHO) advisor and Youth Council Member and is a researcher collaborating with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on the Pediatric Cancer Reintegration Project. His research experience focuses on the intersections of child psychology, illness-related stigma, and educational adaptation to build compassionate learning environments and improve children’s mental health outcomes. As Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Speak Now, Abhinav has led initiatives that have connected more than 1.5 million children and youth to specialized mental health resources, essential care, and life-saving support. He has also worked alongside partners including TikTok and the WHO Fides Network to help advance global efforts focused on youth mental health, digital well-being, and creating safer online spaces. His personal mental health journey sparked him to advocate for historic health policies, including proposing and co-authoring landmark legislation in Illinois to pioneer the nation’s first universal, no-cost K-12 school mental health screenings. Outside of his advocacy and research, he enjoys traveling, listening to music, and playing volleyball with friends.