Name: Dr. Lilijana Kornhauser Cerar
Affiliation: Head of NICU, Department for Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: infants born at the limit of viability; surfactant replacement therapy; use of rHuEPO in the prevention of anemia of prematurity; probiotics in VLGAN's; NICU quality assessment (VON)
 I am honored to be a part of the Children's Reviewer Team. Particularly since I myself learn many new things during the review of the contributions, as well as gaining experience in objectively and constructively giving comments and suggested corrections. I am very grateful to the editors for recognizing my work and commitment and including me on the Exceptional Reviewers List.

Name: Prof. Dr. Jaan Toelen 
Affiliation: Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Belgium
Interests: general pediatrics; adolescent medicine; eating disorders
 As a physician–scientist, I always appreciate the time and effort that reviewers put into my submissions to journals; as such, I try to give back to the scientific community by reviewing manuscripts as often as I can. I approach reviewing as I would like other reviewers to approach my papers; I try to be as constructive in my criticism as I can and offer suggestions to improve the paper as much as possible.

Name: Prof. Dr. Michalina Błażkiewicz
Affiliation: Jozef Pilsudski University Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
Interests: cerebral palsy; dorsiflexion angle; exercise equipment; gait; hinged ankle–foot orthosis; hips; inertial sensors; postural development model; propulsion; walking speed

 Name: Prof. Roxana Stegaroiu
Affiliation: Department of Oral Health and Welfare, Division of Oral Science for Health Promotion, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
Interests: oral health; prosthodontics; dental implants

Name: Dr. Vladimir E. Martínez-Bello
Affiliation: Department of Musical, Visual, and Corporal Expression Teaching, Faculty of Teaching, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
Interests: early childhood; physical activity; physical education; preschool education

Name: Dr. Katheleen J. Gardiner
Affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Center, Human Medical Genetics and Neuroscience Programs, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado, USA
Interests: down syndrome; drug treatments to rescue cognitive deficits

Name: Dr. Jonathan Santoro
Affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Interests: Down syndrome; neuroimmunology; multiple sclerosis; Down syndrome regression disorder; moyamoya; vasculopathy

 Name: Prof. Inge E. Van Der Valk
Affiliation: Youth & Family Department, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Interests: divorce and separation; parental conflicts; stepchildren

Name: Dr. Darejan (Daji) Dvalishvili
Affiliation: College of Social Work, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
Interests: adolescents; adverse childhood experiences; child maltreatment; childhood; evidence-based interventions; multidimensional poverty; program evaluation

Name: Dr. Goutam Singh
Affiliation: Spalding University, Kosair for Kids School of Physical Therapy, USA
Interests: neurophysiology, neuromuscular recovery, and neuromodulation

 Name: Dr. Sayyed Ali Samadi
Affiliation: Institute of Nursing and Health Research. Ulster University, Northern Ireland
Interests: autism spectrum disorder, developmental disabilities, early intervention, behavioral analysis, inclusive education
I believe that thorough reviews ensure that research effectively supports children with autism and other developmental differences in thriving.

Name: Dr. Marcel Alexandru Gaina
Affiliation: Psychiatry, Department of Medicine III, Faculty of Medicine, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Iasi, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
Interests: addictions, anxiety, artificial intelligence, comorbid psychiatric disorders, depression, ethical frameworks in technology, pain, virtual reality

 Name: Dr. Zrinjka Matek Mišak
Affiliation: Referral Centre for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital Zagreb, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: children, Crohn’s disease, enteral nutrition, helicobacter pylori, inflammatory bowel disease, pediatric patients

Name: Dr. Vladimir E. Martínez-Bello
Affiliation: Department of Teaching of Musical, Visual and Corporal Expression, University of Valencia, Avda. dels Tarongers, 4, Valencia, 46022, Spain
Interests: early childhood, physical activity, physical education, preschool education

Name: Dr. Marc Sturgill
Affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 160 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
Interests: children, febrile neutropenia, monitoring, obesity, the effects of age, disease and xenobiotics on drug pharmacokinetics, in particular, the effect of these variables on the activity of human drug metabolizing enzymes

Name: Dr. Raptis Dimitrios
Affiliation: NYC Health and Hospitals Jacobi/North Central Bronx, NY, USA
Interests: diabetes, Endocrinology, glp-1, insulin, liver steatosis, MASH, MASLD, NAFLD, NASH, obesity, steatohepatitis

Name: Dr. Guido Stichtenoth
Affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
Interests: lungs, neonatal resuscitation, respiratory physiology, sepsis, surface tension, surfactants, ventilation

Name: Dr. Esther Tantsis
Affiliation: TJ Nelson Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
Interests: all aspects of general paediatric neurology with a special interest in demyelinating conditions

Name: Dr. Michèle Preyde
Affiliation: College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
Interests: psychosocial impacts of medical and mental illnesses

Name: Dr. Oliver Ramos-Álvarez
Affiliation: Department of Education, Area of Physical and Sports Education, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
Interests: promotion of healthy habits; sedentary lifestyles and associated diseases in pediatric age; education; regular physical activity
It is a real privilege to belong to such a high-level team and to be able to contribute to the review process through contributions and observations that help the authors to refine their work and give greater visibility to their research. I would like to express my sincere thanks for being selected to be part of the Children 2025 Exceptional Reviewers List, a recognition that I deeply value.

Name: Dr. Mohammed Rohaim
Affiliation: Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, United Kingdom
Interests: innate immunity and host–pathogen interactions; viral evasion mechanisms and immune modulation; evolutionary dynamics of viruses; infectious diseases and global health; vaccine development and diagnostic innovations
Providing thorough and constructive peer reviews is a rewarding way to support scientific progress. It ensures the publication of high-quality research and strengthens the academic community.

Name: Dr. Fabrizio Parente
Affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology Vittorio Erspamer, La Sapienza—Università di Roma, Italy
Interests: neuroscience; neuropharmacology; neurodevelopment; neuroimaging; network theory

Name: Dr. Olga Valentim
Affiliation: Department of Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing, Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Lisboa, 1600-096 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: mental health; quality of life; well-being; addictive behaviors; substance dependencies; mental health literacy; positive mental health

Name: Dr. Marilyn Fisher
Affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, NY, USA
Interests: neonatology; retinopathy of prematurity

Name: Dr. Angharad Vernon-Roberts
Affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Otago Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand
Interests: pediatrics; inflammatory bowel disease; functional gastrointestinal disorders; celiac disease; outcome measures; non-clinical outcomes

Name: Dr. Tavey Dorofaeff
Affiliation: UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia
Interests: pediatric; intensive care; antibiotic therapy

Name: Dr. Adrián Rodríguez-Contreras
Affiliation: Department of Biology, The City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
Interests: auditory brainstem; sensitive periods; auditory system development; medial olivocochlear efferent; neonate audiology

Name: Prof. Dr. Justus Lieber
Affiliation: Abteilung für Kinderchirurgie und Kinderurologie, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Tübingen, Germany
Interests: esophagus; pediatrics

Name: Dr. Marcin Moroń
Affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Silesia in Katowice, 43-126 Katowice, Poland
Interests: emotional abilities and awareness; relational aggression; pro-social attitude; relations in romantic relationships

Name: Dr. Yu Inata
Affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Critical Care, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital North Austin Campus, USA
Interests: pediatric critical care medicine

Name: Dr. Roxana Cleper
Affiliation: Faculty of Medical and Health Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Interests: pediatric nephrology; CAKUT (congenital anomalies of kidneys and urinary tract); prematurity and its impact on kidney maturation and function; rickets; chronic kidney disease; acute kidney injury; nephrolithiasis
“It is a great pleasure and honor to be part of the Children journal’s reviewer team; I find it highly interesting to be involved in the publication of up-to-date pediatric research and to be able to help in pinpointing important and practical data for the journal's readership!"

Name: Dr. Antonio Castillo-Paredes
Affiliation: AFySE Group, Research in Physical Activity and School Health, School of Physical Education Pedagogy, Faculty of Education, Universidad de Las Américas, Santiago, Chile
Interests: physical activity; physical literacy; physical education; people with disabilities
“I appreciate the support of editors and reviewers who collaborate in the submission of research. As a reviewer, I collaborate with the review of articles, and in reports, I analyze in detail the respective sections of the manuscript under review, in addition to suggesting improvements and proposals."

Name: Dr. Joseph C. Kush
Affiliation: Department of Instruction and Leadership in Education, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, United States
Interests: education; attentional deficit and hyperactivity disorder, ADHD; Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

Name: Dr. Miguel Ángel Castro Villamor
Affiliation: Advanced Clinical Simulation Center, School of Medicine, Universidad de Valladolid. Avda., Valladolid, Spain
Interests: clinical simulation; emergency; early warning scores; point-of-care testing; resuscitation; obstructive sleep apnea

Name: Dr. Maria João Calheiros-Lobo
Affiliation: UNIPRO—Oral Pathology and Rehabilitation Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences (IUCS), Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário (CESPU), 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
Interests: dentistry and oral surgery; mass spectrometry; materials; maxillary lateral incisor agenesis; monolithic ceramics; shear bond strength

Name: Dr. Ladislav Zilcher
Affiliation: Department of Special and Social Education, Faculty of Education, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Hoření 13, 400 01 Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic
Interests: autism; children with autism; inclusive education; special education; the effect of individual combination therapy on children with motor deficits from the perspective of comprehensive rehabilitation

Name: Dr. Greger Lindberg
Affiliation: Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Digestive Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
Interests: gut; irritable bowel syndrome; pathogenetic mechanisms in gut motility disorder

Name: Dr. Slavica Kvolik
Affiliation: Medical Faculty, j.J.Strossmayer University J. Huttlera 4, 31 000 Osijek; Croatia
Interests: biomarkers; infections; anesthesia; intensive care medicine; perioperative medicine

Name: Dr. Paul B. Kaplowitz
Affiliation: George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, D.C., United States
Interests: delayed puberty; growth disorders; hyperthyroidism; hypothyroidism; neonatal thyroid disease; precocious puberty

Name: Dr. Longxi Li
Affiliation: Center for Leadership in Athletics, College of Education, University of Washington, Seattle, USA 
Interests: youth health promotion; cognitive development; physical activity; mental health; meta analysis; measurement
“Reviewing innovative and timely research is both exciting and rewarding. I'm grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a field I'm deeply passionate about.”

Name: Prof. Emerit. Dr. Paul Yovanoff
Affiliation: School of Education and Human Development, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA
Interests: behavioral research methods; psychometric modeling
“As someone publishing behavioral research, I participate in peer review for both service and learning. It is always an honor to read and comment on manuscript submissions, always with the hope that I can assist with advancing research findings into publication. Because I specialize in research methods, primarily measurement, I am fortunate to review a broad range of substantively interesting manuscripts.”

Name: Dr. Sayyed Ali Samadi
Affiliation: Institute of Health and Nursing Research- Ulster University, Northern Ireland
Interests: autism; autism spectrum disorders; early diagnosis of autism; early intervention; screening and prevalence rate of autism; signs and symptoms of autism
“Reviewing has allowed me to engage with cutting-edge research in my professional field of study, specifically child development, particularly in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and cross-cultural screening methodologies. I approach each manuscript that I receive for review with a commitment to rigor, fairness, and constructive feedback, ensuring that the published work meets the highest standards while supporting authors in strengthening their contributions. Peer review is a collaborative endeavor—one that bridges diverse perspectives to refine research for meaningful impact. I value the dedication of the journal Children to inclusivity and innovation, which aligns with my own focus on equitable healthcare solutions for neurodiverse children in low-resource settings. This recognition is deeply appreciated, and I look forward to continuing to support the journal's mission of fostering excellence in pediatric research.”

Name: Dr. Laura García-Pérez
Affiliation: Department of Didactics of Corporal Expression, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Granada, Spain
Interests: physical activity; mental health; child development; health-related quality of life; psychosocial well-being; physical education; resilience; adolescent self-esteem; lifestyle habits
“Reviewing for Children has been a rewarding experience—it's a space where science and commitment to child well-being truly come together.”

Name: Dr. Daniela Elena Serban
Affiliation: Department of Mother and Child, 2nd Clinic of Pediatrics, Emergency Clinical Hospital for Children, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: pediatrics; gastroenterology; inflammatory bowel disease; probiotics and other -biotics; microbiota; biomarkers; animal models; in vitro research
“Being a reviewer has become part of my important activities, on a daily basis. I like helping authors in improving their manuscripts, by analyzing in depth their manuscripts, giving suggestions and mentioning pertinent corrections. I take my responsibilities as a reviewer very seriously and I am critical, but in a constructive way, like with my own/colleagues’ manuscripts. I am honored to be part of Children’s Exceptional Reviewers List in May 2025.”

Name: Dr. Joseph P.H. McNamara
Affiliation: University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry, USA
Interests: treatment outcome research; OCD; CBT

Name: Dr. João Paulo Saraiva Santos
Affiliation: Research Center for Child Studies, Institute of Education, University of Minho, Portugal
Interests: language disorders; inclusive education; assessment and intervention with students with hearing impairment; physical and sports education; motor development; cognitive and motor disabilities
“Collaborating with Children has proven to be an opportunity for me to mature as a researcher, as it has required me to have a critical sense towards the work carried out by other colleagues and to analyze the subjects covered in the manuscripts submitted from different perspectives, always seeking to constructively contribute to the improvement of the research, whenever necessary. The acknowledgement of my contribution as a reviewer increases my responsibility and reinforces my commitment in continuing to provide reviews that stand for the journal’s scientific quality.”

Name: Dr. António Fernando Saldanha Portelada
Affiliation: Department of Education and Curriculum, School of Education, Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, Portugal
Interests: inclusive education; special educational needs; emotional well-being; teacher training; early intervention; biopsychosocial model of development
“Reviewing for Children is both a privilege and a responsibility. It allows me to contribute to science while supporting research that fosters a better understanding of ourselves, our children, and our world.”

Name: Dr. Manju M. Chandra
Affiliation: Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, New York University Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, NY 11501, USA
Interests: pediatric nephrology

Name: Dr. Shivali Sarawgi
Affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine 3333 Burnet Ave Cincinnati, OH 45229 USA
Interests: autism spectrum disorder; emotion regulation; intolerance of uncertainty; obsessive-compulsive disorder; transdiagostic

Name: Dr. Raluca Mijaica
Affiliation: Department of Physical Education and Special Motricity, Faculty of Physical Education and Mountain Sports, Romania
Interests: physical education; sport; psychology of physical education and sport; sociology of physical education and sport; chess; quality of life through physical activity; active lifestyle; social inclusion through physical activities
“Participating in the peer-review process is a valuable opportunity to support scientific progress in the field of sport and physical education.”

Name: Dr. Laura García-Pérez
Affiliation: Department of Didactics of Corporal Expression, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Granada, Spain
Interests: physical activity; mental health; child development; early childhood; health-related quality of life; psychosocial well-being; physical education; resilience; self-esteem; lifestyle habits
“Participating in the peer-review process for Children has been an enriching and rewarding academic experience. It has allowed me not only to contribute to the integrity and scientific rigor of publications in the fields of child health, education, and well-being, but also to stay up to date with the latest research and methodologies. Reviewing for this journal encourages critical thinking and fosters a sense of academic responsibility, as it involves providing constructive feedback that supports authors in improving the quality and clarity of their work.
What I particularly value about reviewing for Children is the journal’s commitment to interdisciplinary approaches and its focus on vulnerable populations, including children and adolescents. As a researcher and educator involved in mental health promotion, physical activity, and educational interventions, I find it highly meaningful to contribute to a journal that prioritizes evidence-based practices with real impact on young people’s lives.
Being part of this community of reviewers is a privilege, and I truly appreciate the transparency and professionalism of the editorial team. I look forward to continuing to support the journal’s mission and to collaborating in the dissemination of research that fosters healthy, inclusive, and supportive environments for children worldwide.”

Name: Dr. Maria Livia Ognean
Affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Lucian Blaga University Sibiu, Romania
Interests: neonatology; perinatology; neonatal respiratory conditions; neonatal respiratory support; neonatal ultrasound; neonatal nutrition; vitamin D in neonates; neonatal epidemiology; preterm infant; neurodevelopmental care; prematurity
“I am trying to help colleagues with similar interests by reviewing their manuscripts whenever I can, offering objective input, ideas, suggestions in appreciation of the effort other reviewers are making to improve my own work. It is also an opportunity to keep myself up to date with science.”

Name: Dr. Henry Willis 
Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland - College Park, United States
Interests: interpersonal and online racial discrimination; racial identity; culturally adapted mental health treatments and assessments; mental health disparities in black communities; mHealth for mental health; acute and prolonged grief

Name: Dr. Diane Sellers
Affiliation: Chailey Clinical Services, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton, UK.
Interests: cerebral palsy; child neurology; pediatrics; rehabilitation

Name: Dr. Yung-Chieh Huang
Affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan
Interests: allergies; immunology; nephrology; pediatrics

Name: Dr. Monika Bronkowska
Affiliation: Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, ul. Chełmońskiego 37, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: antioxidants; nutrition; diet; toxicology; public health; metabolism

Name: Dr. Stefan Bogaerts
Affiliation: Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University, 5037 AB Tilburg, the Netherlands
Interests: criminology; forensics psychiatry; posttraumatic stress disorder; psychopathology; psychotrauma; triad-model

Name: Dr. Raluca Mijaica
Affiliation: Department of Physical Education and Special Motricity, Faculty of Physical Education and Mountain Sports, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Interests: sleep; quality of life; the psychology of sports; sociology of sports; physical education; chess; health; sports

Name: Dr. Helena Grangeia
Affiliation: ProChild CoLab Against Poverty and Social Exclusion–Association (ProChild CoLAB), Campus de Couros, 4810-225 Guimarães, Portugal
Interests: critical victimology; crime prevention; interpersonal violence