Prof. Dr. Ilgi Ertem is the Founding President of the International Developmental Pediatrics Association (IDPA), founder of the field of Developmental Pediatrics in Turkey and Professor Emeritus from Ankara University, Turkey.

Her work has focused on facilitating the inclusion of the teachings and practices of developmental-behavioral pediatrics within health and other systems in Turkey and around the world. She has longstanding international experience in collaborating with colleagues in various countries including Argentina, Azerbaijan, China, Croatia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Italy, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Serbia, South Africa, Turkmenistan and the United States. 

She is an advisor to the WHO and UNICEF on child development and disability. Dr. Ertem did her fellowship training in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics at Yale University. She was a Zero to Three Fellow, a Fogarty International Center Women Global Health Scholar and a visiting professor at Yale University.

Dr. Ertem is the recipient of large scale international research grants and the developer of the International Guide for Monitoring Child Development (GMCD). She is the author of two books including the WHO published Developmental Difficulties in Early Childhood and publications in prestigious medical journals.