Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that Children is now inviting nominations for the Children 2023 Young Investigator Award. This prize will be given to one young investigator in recognition of their excellence in the field of children’s health. All nominations will be assessed by an Award Evaluation Committee led by the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Sari A. Acra.

The prize:
– CHF 2000;
– Option to publish one paper free of charge in Children after peer review before the end of 2024;
– An electronic certificate.

Eligibility and Requirements:
– Must have received their PhD no more than 10 years prior to 31 December 2023;
– Must have produced ground-breaking research and made a significant contribution to the advancement of children’s health;
– Candidates must be nominated by senior scientists.

List of Documents for Nomination:
– Detailed Curriculum Vitae, including an updated publication list and a list of the researcher’s own research grants;
– Scanned copy of doctorate certificate;
– Signed nomination letters from two established senior scientists.

Schedule:
Open for nomination: 1 September 2023
Nomination deadline: 30 June 2024
Winner announcement: 30 August 2024

How to submit nominations:
The nominations must be submitted online.

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Paul R. Carney, we wish to acknowledge our reviewers who so generously offer their time to review the papers submitted to Children by presenting an award to the reviewers who have demonstrated their dedication, professionalism, and timeliness in reviewing manuscripts for Children.

What are the pre-requisites to be eligible for this award?
All of the reviewers for Children in 2023 will be automatically included.

Selection Criteria:
– Number of review reports;
– The quality and timeliness of review reports.

What will the winners receive?
There will be two winners this year, and each will receive the following:
– CHF 500;
– An opportunity to publish a paper free of charge in 2024 after peer review;
– A certificate.

When will the winners be announced?
The winners will be announced in March 2024 on the Children website.

How can I make myself eligible?
If you have not yet reviewed papers for Children, but would like to do so, you can register as a reviewer at the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/volunteer/profile/edit.

Kind regards,
Children Editorial Office

Dear Colleagues,

The journal Children is inviting applications for the Children 2023 Best PhD Thesis Award. This prize will be awarded to a PhD student or recently qualified PhD who has produced a highly anticipated thesis with great academic potential. The applications will be assessed by an evaluation committee led by the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Paul R. Carney.

Eligibility and Requirements
– The candidate must be a PhD student or recently qualified PhD who has produced a highly anticipated thesis with great academic potential;
– The PhD thesis must be their original work;
– The PhD thesis must be defended in 2023.

Required Application Documents
– An executive summary of the PhD thesis in English of around 3000 words;
– A letter from the PhD supervisor recommending the candidate for consideration for this award;
– The candidate’s CV, including a list of publications connected with the thesis;
– An electronic copy of the PhD thesis;
– A scanned copy of the PhD diploma (or certificate of studying at a school or research institute as a PhD student going to graduate or participate in graduation thesis defenses).

Selection Criteria
– Quality of resume and publications;
– Relevance of the candidate and research description;
– Novelty of the candidate’s PhD thesis;
– Strength of the recommendation letter;
– Anticipated academic potential;
– Originality and impact of the research.

Prizes
– Bonus (CHF 800);
– An electronic certificate;
– Offer to publish one paper free of charge in Children after peer review before the end of 2024.

The application deadline is 31 March 2024. The winner will be announced on the Children website by the end of May 2024.

Kind regards,
Children Editorial Office

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the “Children 2022 Best Paper Award” for research and review articles published in Children from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022. One review and one research article will receive an award each. The papers will be selected after a thorough evaluation by the Children Award Committee led by the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Paul R. Carney

Eligibility for the Award:
– Papers published in Children from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022;
– Open to all career levels;
– Both regular and Special Issue submissions will be considered.

Selection Criteria:
The papers will be selected by the Children Award Committee according to the following criteria:
– Scientific merit and broad impact;
– Originality of the research objectives and/or the ideas presented;
– Creativity of the study design or uniqueness of the approaches and concepts;
– Clarity of presentation;
– Citations and downloads.

The Prize:
– One review award: CHF 500 and a chance to publish a paper free of charge in Children in 2024 after peer review.
– One research article award: CHF 500 and a chance to publish a paper free of charge in Children in 2024 after peer review.
– Each winner will also receive a certificate.

The winners will be announced on the Children website in March 2024.

Kind regards,
Children Editorial Office

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Children 2022 Young Investigator Award is Dr. Emma Rheel.

Dr. Emma Rheel is a professional expert of the Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy at the Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Dr. Emma Rheel’s research interests are in “Rehabilitation Sciences, Physiotherapy, Pediatric Pain Medicine”. Dr. Emma Rheel received her PhD in 2022 and has an outstanding publication record, comprising 16 publications in peer-reviewed international journals. Dr. Emma Rheel’s Scopus Scientific Citations stand at 127 and her Hirsch index is 6. She is clearly a rising star in the field of Rehabilitation Sciences. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Emma Rheel for her outstanding achievements.

As the awardee, Dr. Emma Rheel will receive an honorarium of CHF 2000, an offer to publish a paper free of charge before 31 December 2023 in Children after peer review, and an electronic certificate.

We would like to thank all the nominators from various fields of study for their participation and all the Award Committee Members for their evaluation of the many excellent nominations.

Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Paul R. Carney, on behalf of the Children 2022 Young Investigator Evaluation Committee.

Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Children 2022 Outstanding Reviewer Award. The Children Editorial Board and Editorial Team would like to gratefully acknowledge the time and energy dedicated by reviewers to checking the manuscripts submitted to Children. It is due to their efforts that the high quality and quick turnaround of Children are maintained.

Dr. Marco Sapienza
Department of General Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Research interests: pediatric surgery; complex regional pain syndrome; developmental dysplasia of the hip; ddh; treatment; bracing; dynamic splint; static splint; clubfoot; ctev; young athletes; ponseti method

Dr. Sabina Barrios-Fernández
Social Impact and Innovation in Health (InHEALTH) Research Group, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
Research interests: activities of daily living; social participation; rehabilitation; physical activity; inclusive education

The Prize for Each Winner
– CHF 500;
– An opportunity to publish a paper free of charge in Children in 2023 after peer review;
– A certificate.

Kind regards,
Children Editorial Office

Dear Colleagues,

As the Editor-in-Chief of Children, it is my great pleasure to announce the winner of the Children 2022 Best PhD Thesis Award. This award is for a PhD student or recently qualified PhD who has produced a highly anticipated thesis with great academic potential.

The award has been granted to:

“The Italian Validation of the Social Skills Program PEERS^® in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): A Randomized Controlled Trial” By Laura Maria Fatta, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.

The winner will receive CHF 800, an electronic certificate and a chance to publish a paper free of charge after peer review in Children in 2023.

On behalf of the evaluation committee, I congratulate the winner on their accomplishments. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the applicants for submitting their exceptional theses, and thank the Award
Committee for voting and helping with this award.

Prof. Dr. Paul R. Carney
Editor-in-Chief, Children

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Children 2021 Best Paper Award. All papers published in 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021 in Children were considered for the award. After a thorough evaluation of the originality and significance of the papers, citations, and downloads, two winners were selected.

One Review:

Obesity in Children and Adolescents during COVID-19
By Androniki Stavridou, Evangelia Kapsali, Eleni Panagouli, Athanasios Thirios, Konstantinos Polychronis, Flora Bacopoulou, Theodora Psaltopoulou, Maria Tsolia, Theodoros N. Sergentanis and Artemis Tsitsika
Children 2021, 8(2), 135; doi: 10.3390/children8020135

One Article:

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Interrelation of Physical Activity, Screen Time and Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents in Germany: Results of the Motorik-Modul Study
By Kathrin Wunsch, Carina Nigg, Claudia Niessner, Steffen C. E. Schmidt, Doris Oriwol, Anke Hanssen-Doose, Alexander Burchartz, Ana Eichsteller, Simon Kolb, Annette Worth and Alexander Woll
Children 2021, 8(2), 98; doi: 10.3390/children8020098

Each winner will receive CHF 500 and a chance to publish a paper free of charge in Children in 2023 after peer review.

Please join us in congratulating the winners of Children 2021 Best Paper Award. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our authors for your continued support of Children.

Kind regards,
Children Editorial Office

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the winner of the Children 2021 Outstanding Reviewer Award. The Children Editorial Board and Editorial Team would like to gratefully acknowledge the time and energy dedicated by reviewers in checking the manuscripts submitted to Children. It is due to their efforts that the high quality of the journal and quick turnaround are maintained.

Dr. John Griniatsos
Laiko General Hospital, Athens, Greece
Research Interests: abdominal surgery; thoracic surgery; thoracoscopy; stomach; pylorus; acute appendicitis; appendectomy; liver surgery; IBD; appendicitis; splenectomy; laparoscopic splenectomy; hypertrophic pyloric stenosis; laparoscopic surgery; colorectal surgery.

Prizes:
– CHF 500;
– An opportunity to publish a paper free of charge in 2023;
– A certificate.

Dear Colleagues,

As the Editor-in-Chief of Children, it is my great pleasure to announce the winner of the Children 2021 Best PhD Thesis Award. This prize was aimed to be granted to a PhD student who has produced a highly anticipated academic potential thesis.

The award has been granted to:
“Influence of Modified Maternal Diet on the Phenotype of Offspring: Behavioral and Molecular Correlations”
By Kinga Gawlińska, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland.

The winner will receive CHF 800, a certificate and a chance to publish a paper in Children in 2022.

On behalf of the evaluation committee, I would like to congratulate Dr. Kinga Gawlińska on his accomplishments. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the nominated research groups for their contributions to Children and the Award Committee for voting and helping with this award.

Prof. Dr. Sari A. Acra
Editor-in-Chief, Children

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Children 2021 Young Investigator Award is Lauren Heathcote.

Dr. Lauren Heathcote has an impressive publication record, not only quantitatively, but also qualitatively. She is a health psychologist with a scientific focus on psycho-oncology and the effects of pain on children. Dr. Heathcote’s work explores how the perception of bodily threat shapes clinical outcomes in young people living with chronic conditions, such as persistent pain and cancer. She publishes her research in the top-level scientific journals of her field. She recently received (Feb 2022) the Ulf Lindblom Young Investigator Prize of the IISAP (International Association for the Study of Pain). The prize is awarded bi-annually and endowed with USD 2,500 in cash, as well as an invitation to the IASP World Congress on Pain to present the recipient’s work, it shows that she is the most qualified candidate.

As the awardee, Dr. Lauren Heathcote will receive an honorarium of CHF 2000, an offer to publish a paper, free of charge, in Children before 31 December 2022, following peer review, and an engraved plaque.

We would like to thank all the nominators from various fields of study for their participation and all the Award Committee Members for their evaluation of the many excellent nominations.

Section Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Olaf Gefeller, on behalf of the Children 2021 Young Investigator Evaluation Committee.

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Children 2020 Best Paper Award. All papers published in Children from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020 were considered for the award. After a thorough evaluation of the originality and significance of the papers, citations, and downloads, two winners were selected.

One Review:
Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Review of Clinical Presentation, Hypothetical Pathogenesis, and Proposed Management
By Natasha A. Nakra; Dean A. Blumberg; Angel Herrera-Guerra and Satyan Lakshminrusimha
Children 2020, 7(7), 69; doi:10.3390/children7070069

One Article:
Prevalence and Associated Factors of Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties during COVID-19 Pandemic in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders
By Jacqueline Nonweiler; Fiona Rattray; Jennifer Baulcomb; Francesca Happé and Michael Absoud
Children 2020, 7(9), 128; doi:10.3390/children7090128

Each winner will receive CHF 500 and a chance to publish a paper in Children in 2022.

Please join us in congratulating the winners of the Children 2020 Best Paper Award. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our authors for your continued support of Children.

Kind regards,
Children Editorial Office

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the following reviewers has been selected as the winner of the Children 2020 Outstanding Reviewer Awards. This award is in appreciation of the high number, timeliness, and quality of reviews in 2020. The winners will receive a certificate, 500 CHF, and an opportunity to publish a paper free of charge in 2021. 

• Anna Monica Agoston
  The Emory University in Atlanta, Salt Lake City, United States
  Research Interest: Pain Management
• Nadia Najafi
  Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
  Research Interest: paediatric anaesthesia

We want to extend our congratulations to all the winners for them excellent reviews and well-earned award! 

The Children Editorial Board and Editorial Team would like to acknowledge all reviewers who have generously dedicated their time and efforts toward reviewing manuscripts submitted to Children. Due to their outstanding contributions, the high scientific quality of the journal and fast article processing are constantly maintained.

Children Editorial Office

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Children 2020 Young Investigator Award is Dr. Erica Kaye.

Erica C. Kaye, MD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Oncology, Division of Quality of Life and Palliative Medicine, at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Dr. Kaye received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Yale, her Medical Degree from Harvard, and her Master's in Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a focus on qualitative and mixed methodology research training. She completed her pediatrics residency at Boston Children’s Hospital, followed by two subspecialty fellowships in pediatric hematology-oncology and hospice and palliative medicine at St. Jude. She currently practices clinically as a pediatric palliative oncologist, and her research centers on the development of interventions to improve communication between clinicians, children with advancing cancer, and their families. Dr. Kaye is a rising leader in her field, with more than 50 peer-reviewed publications related to pediatric cancer, palliative care, and communication research. She received the Kathleen M. Foley Research Scholar Award in 2017, the Kornfeld Scholar’s Award in 2019, and was recognized as an Emerging Leader in Hospice and Palliative Medicine in 2020. Dr. Kaye also serves as the Associate Program Director for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, the Director of Student Research in the Quality of Life and Palliative Care Research Division, and the Chair of the Qualitative Research Network at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

As the awardee, Dr. Kaye will receive an honorarium of 2000 CHF and an offer to publish one paper free of charge before the end of 31 December 2021 in Children after peer-review.

We would like to thank all the nominators from various fields of study for their participation and all the Award Committee Members for their evaluation of the abundant excellent nominations.

Children 2021 Young Investigator Award Evaluation Committee

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Children 2019 Best Paper Awards. All papers published from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019.in Children were considered for the award. After a thorough evaluation of the originality and significance of the papers, citations, and downloads, the three winning papers, which were nominated by the journal’s Award Committee, have been selected and they are the following:

Article
Family Income at Birth and Risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at Age 15: Racial Differences
By Shervin Assari and Cleopatra Howard Caldwel
Children 2019, 6(1), 10

The winner (corresponding author) will receive an award of 800 CHF, a certificate, and an opportunity to publish free of charge in Children before 31 December 2021, after the normal peer-review procedure.

Review
Hepatoblastoma—The Evolution of Biology, Surgery, and Transplantation
By Irene Isabel P. Lim, Alexander J. Bondoc, James I. Geller and Gregory M. Tiao
Children 2019, 6(1), 1

The winner (corresponding author) will receive an award of 800 CHF, a certificate, and an opportunity to publish free of charge in Children before 31 December 2021, after the normal peer-review procedure.

We believe the above papers represent valuable contributions to Children. Please join us in congratulating the winners of Children 2019 Best Paper Awards. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our authors for their continued support.

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Children, I am pleased to announce the recipient of the Children 2019 Travel Award, chosen from a group of very qualified applicants from across the globe. The award will be granted to Dr. Melisa Carrasco McCaul, who is currently a post-doctoral research fellow as an associate professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in USA.

Dr. Melisa Carrasco McCaul’s primary research focus on the following questions: 1) how does HIE lead to the development of white matter injury in neonates, 2) what is the relationship between white matter injury and later seizures and neurodevelopmental outcomes, and 3) are there specific neuroprotective agents that may help modulate white matter injury and curtail seizure burden after HIE?

Onbehalf of Children, she will be awarded 800 Swiss Francs to attend the Child Neurology Society to be held in Charlotte, USA on 23-26 October 2019. There, he will present him ongoing work entitled “Deficient White Matter Cathepsin B Protein Levels in a Neonatal Piglet Model Following HIE”.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Melisa Carrasco McCaul on his excellent contribution and notable accomplishment.

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Children, I am pleased to announce the recipient of the Children 2018 Travel Award, chosen from a group of very qualified applicants from across the globe. The award will be granted to Dr. Zoe Michael, who is currently a post-doctoral research fellow at Birgham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA, USA.

Dr. Michael’s primary research focus has been on investigating the contribution of inflammation to the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension. In that vein, she has been involved in several projects that are designed to evaluate the effect of carbonic anhydrase inhibition and metabolic acidosis in experimental models of pulmonary hypertension.

Onbehalf of Children, she will be awarded 800 Swiss Francs to attend the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference to be held in Orlando, USA on 2 November 2018. There, she will present her ongoing work entitled “Acetazolamide Modulates Pulmonary Inflammation and Ameliorates Severe Experimental Pulmonary Hypertension”.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Michael on her excellent contribution and notable accomplishment.

Prof. Sari Acra, MD, MPH
Editor-in-Chief,
Children

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Children, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Children Travel Award for 2017 Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) meeting:

The Travel Award was granted to Dr. Francis Joseph Real, General Pediatric Master Educator Fellow at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA. His work submitted to PAS focused on novel physician-patient communication training using immersive virtual reality (VR) to decrease rates of influenza vaccination refusal. This work is in line with Dr Real’s long-term career interest in improving health outcomes for children in low-income settings through innovative educational strategies.

The award consists of 800 Swiss Francs to attend the upcoming Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting 2017. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Real on his excellent contribution and notable accomplishment.

Sari Acra, Editor-in-Chief, Children

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Children, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Children Travel Award for 2016:

The Travel Award was granted to Dr. Kezhen Huang, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Connecticut Health Center, USA. Dr. Huang’s research involves exploring the regulation of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling in the intestine by bacterial products, offering potential therapeutic pathways to mitigate the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates.

The award consists of 800 Swiss Francs to attend the upcoming Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting 2016. Please join me in congratulating Kezhen on her excellent contribution and notable accomplishment.

Sari Acra, Editor-in-Chief, Children