Editorial Board

Prof. Giuseppe Buonocore, full professor of Pediatrics and Neonatology at the University of Siena, Italy, is internationally recognized for his research on neonatal diseases, oxidative stress, and early identification of the newborn at high risk of brain damage. He is Director of the Unit of Pediatric Neonatology at the University Hospital of Siena, Italy, and Chairman of Pediatrics at the School of Specialization in Pediatrics & Neonatology, Dept. of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena. He was the president of ESPR and UENPS. He is involved in the coordination of numerous wordwide clinical trials. Prof. Buonocore is author of 914 publications (H-Index: Citations: 7593 IF: 637,597): 3 books and 27 book chapters; 273 peer review international scientific papers and 611 presentations at International Conferences and National Meetings. Co-Editor of “Neonatology” a worldwide sold textbook, included by Springer among Major Reference Works.




Professor Tam graduated from The University of Hong Kong in 1976, and worked in the Department of Surgery until 1986. He was the Vice- President for Research (2003-2015) and is currently Interim Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong. He has been awarded grants totaling > US$20m. He serves on many international professional associations and was President of the Pacific Association of Paediatric Surgeons (2008-2009). He also serves on editorial boards of several international journals including the Journal of Pediatric Surgery as the Editor for Asia. He has given invited lectures at BAPS, EUPSA, AAPS and Days of Molecular Medicine 2012, etc. He has received numerous awards including the BAPS Prize, Lifetime Achievement Award (AAPS) and Honorary Fellowship of the American Surgical Association.

Dr. DiClemente is Charles Howard Candler Professor of Public Health at the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. He holds concurrent appointments as Professor in the School of Medicine, the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology, and Immunology, and the Department of Medicine, in the Division of Infectious Diseases, and the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. DiClemente was trained as a Health Psychologist at the University of California San Francisco where he received his PhD in 1984 after completing a ScM at the Harvard School of Public Health and his undergraduate degree at the City University of New York. Dr. DiClemente serves as a member of the NIH Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council, and previously served as a member of the CDC Board of Scientific Counselors and the NIMH Advisory Council. Dr. DiClemente has focused on developing intervention packages that blend community and technology-based approaches that are designed to optimize program effectiveness and enhance programmatic sustainability. He is the author of six CDC-defined evidence-based interventions for adolescents and young African American women and men. He has published extensively in the area of adolescent health, particularly HIV/STD prevention, among adolescents and young adults, and in adolescent vaccine programs for influenza and HPV prevention. He is the author of more than 500 peer-review publications, 150 book chapters, and 21 books.

Dr. Dario Galante is a pediatric, neonatal and obstetric anesthesiologist of the University Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, University Hospital Ospedali Riuniti of Foggia, Italy. He is the author of many publications indexed in PuBMed. He is an Editor in Chief, editorial board member and peer-reviewer of many international journals. He is an expert in ultrasound regional anesthesia and President and founder of SIAATIP, Società Italiana di Anestesia, Analgesia e Terapia Intensiva Pediatrica (www.siaatip.it), President and founder of SUA - The Society for Ultrasound in Anaesthesia - Italian Chapter (www.ultrasoundanesthesia.it) and Società Italiana di Partoanalgesia (www.partoanalgesia.it). He invented a new innovative technique in simultaneous noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring and ventilation through proseal laryngeal mask airway and transesophageal doppler called TED-PLMA Technique, and a new innovative ultrasound abdominal block called "UAT - Ultrasound Abdominal Tri-block" (a combination of TAP Block and Ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric blocks).


Dr. Roberto Bernardini worked as consultant in Meyer Children Hospital and served as adjunct Professor at the School of Specialization in Pediatrics at University of Florence until 2007. He is (2008-today) the Director of the Pediatric Unit of San Giuseppe Hospital (Empoli, Florence). He has served as head of SIAIP Commissions, National SIAIP Vice President and President, and has been a member of EAACI Interest Group "Allergy, Asthma & Sports". He obtained the National Qualification for Full Professor of Pediatrics. He has served as a speaker in more than 300 congresses, and authored/co-authored more than 110 publications in international journals

Dr. Alexander K.C. Leung, a holder of MBBS, DCH(Lond & Irel), FRCPC; FRCP(UK & Irel), FRCPCH, and FAAP degrees, is Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Calgary and Pediatric Consultant at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Dr. Leung’s areas of special interest are general and ambulatory care pediatrics. Dr. Leung is the author of over 2750 scientific publications including 340 chapters and 9 books. Dr. Leung has served on the editorial boards of 37 medical journals. He is the assistant/ associate/section editor of several of these journals.

Dr. Licia Pensabene undertook her undergraduate medical training at the Reggio Calabria University (1994), her postgraduate paediatric training at the University Magna Græcia of Catanzaro(2000) and her PhD in Pediatric Gastro-endocrinology at the University of Parma(2005). In 2001, Dr. Pensabene went on to complete a Research Fellowship (2001-2002) at the Gastrointestinal Motility Center, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, USA. She then obtained an Institutional License from the State of Board of Medicine- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a Faculty Position as Instructor of Medicine in the Dept. of Pediatric Gastroenterology, University of Pittsburgh, USA (2002-2003). She has been serving as an Associate Professor in pediatric at the Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro since 2016.
Dr. Consolato M. Sergi is the Chief of the Division of Anatomical Pathology at the Children’s Hospital,University of Ottawa, Canada. He is full Professor of Pathology and Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Dr. Sergi obtained his MD degree with honors at the University of Genoa, Italy, Human Pathology degree at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, the title of Clinical Reader at the University of Bristol, UK, Ph.D./Habilitation at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, MPH in Austria, and FRCPC degree at the Royal College in Ottawa. Dr. Sergi’s specialty areas of interest are congenital heart disease and metabolic diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, carcinogenesis, and mitochondrial DNA-related cardiomyopathies.

Dr. Elisa Francesca Maria Ciceri, MD serves on the Italian Board of Neurology and Radiology. She is a radiology adjunct professor at the Università degli Studi Milano, UNIMI, Tutor. She is head of the department of Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Neuroradiology, IRCCS Foundation Neurological Institute "C.Besta" Milan, Italy. Besides, she is also the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). Her research interests include: MR, CT and angiography neuro applications, including tremor treatment with high field ultrasound MR guided (3Tesla MRgFUS). Her field of interest includes neuro-degenerative and pediatric diseases, metabolic disorders and epilepsy, vascular disease and endovascular therapy of acute stroke, brain and spine AVM-DAVF, cerebral aneurysms, carotid stenosis, preoperative devascularization of head-neck tumor etc. She has participated in several international research trials related to cerebrovascular conditions and has lectured nationally and internationally on the related topics. She is the author of a number of articles, and several book chapters with an H-index of 28.

Dr. Denis A. Cozzi is currently Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery at the Sapienza University of Rome and Head of the Pediatric Surgery Unit at the Policlinico Umberto I University Hospital, Rome, Italy. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Cozzi is interested in all aspects of pediatric general, thoracic, and neonatal surgery, and is internationally renowned for his pioneering clinical application of nephron-sparing surgery in children with unilateral renal tumors and normal contralateral kidney.

Dr. Raffaele has obtained PhD in Pediatric Sciences in 1999 from the University of Catania. He is presently serving as a Professor at University of Catania. His subject areas are in Medicine Neuroscience Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology Immunology and Microbiology Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics Multidisciplinary. He has contributed more than 132 publications.

Prof. Mikko Hallman, M.D., Ph.D. is a senior professor, group leader, consultant, and senior researcher. He serves in the Department of Pediatrics, at Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland. He has a number of publications in the peer-reviewed journals, besides, he is also involved in writing book chapters, commentaries, small reviews etc. His total citations are 30,000, with an H-index of 82. His interest is focused on prevention, management and outcome of preterm infants. During 1973-1997, he conducted the first clinical trials of surfactant therapy.

PIETRO IMPELLIZZERI, graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Messina in 1986. He achieved the Certificate of Specialist in Pediatric Surgery in 1991, master's Degree in Minimally Invasive Pediatric Surgery from the University of Bologna in 2013. He is Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery in the Department of Human Pathology and Childhood University of Messina. His surgical activity, performed at the Pediatric Surgery Unit of University Hospital “G. Martino”, includes: treatment of neonatal and pediatric surgical diseases also with video-laparoscopy approach. His research activity includes the neonatal surgery, pediatric andrological surgery, clinical and experimental research.

Dr. Sandeep Jayawant M.B.B.S., M.R.C.P., M.R.C.P.C.H., F.R.C.P.C.H, is presently serving as a Consultant, Pediatric Neurology Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust and also an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, Pediatric Neurology University of Oxford. His skill and expertise are in Genetics and Muscle. He has contributed more than 70 publications, having citations around 1,504.

Dr. Ozgur, MD, has been serving as a Professor at Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Department of Pediatrics, and Head of Pediatric Rheumatology Department since 2007. Dr. Ozgur research interests include Vaccine response, cytokine pathway, Medical ethics, Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Familial Mediterranean fever, auto inflammatory diseases and juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, and scleroderma. He is a member of Pediatric Rheumatology European Society, Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization, Turkish Pediatric Association, Turkish National Society of Pediatric Rheumatology and EULAR standing committee, Pediatric Rheumatology section, Turkish representatives. He has contributed more than 300 publications,having citations around 3,350.

Dr. Rejin Kebudi is a Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, in the Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and the Istanbul University, Oncology Institute (IUOI). She has served as the director of IUOI Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, as director of the Pediatric Oncology in the American Hospital, as President of the Turkish Pediatric Oncology Group (TPOG). She is the chair of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) Supportive Care Working Group and has served in the Education Committee of SIOP. She received the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) -2018 “International Woman Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award”. She has over 300 peer reviewed publications.

Prof. Knutsen is a Professor of Pediatrics since 1980 and the Director of Pediatric Allergy & Immunology since 1980 at the Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO. He conducted research on Primary immunodeficiency disorders, Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, and Mold sensitive asthma. He has worked on Project ARK (AIDS/HIV Resources for KIDS).

Max Liebau, MD is a consultant pediatric nephrologist, Head of Experimental Pediatric Nephrology and Head of the Center for Chronically Ill Children at the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany. His lab follows a translational approach to study genetic diseases with a focus on molecular mechanisms of cellular signaling in polycystic kidney disease and other congenital anomalies of the kidney and the urinary tract. This work is complemented by international clinical cohort studies on ARPKD and pediatric ADPKD (ARegPKD and ADPedKD). Dr. Liebau received multiple honors and awards including the Adalbert-Czerny-Award, the highest scientific award in German Pediatrics.


Dr. Akhil Maheshwari is a neonatal-perinatal specialist in Baltimore. Dr. Maheshwari is the Director of the Division of Neonatology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Dr. Maheshwari received his M.B.B.S. at Banaras Hindu University in India. He subsequently received training in Pediatrics at the Post-Graduate Institute for Medical Education Research and Research and at the University of Florida at Gainesville . He was trained in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at the University of South Florida His research interests include inflammation and intestinal injury in newborn infants. Dr. Maheshwari serves on the Communications Committee for the American Pediatric Society and as convener for the NEC Focus Group of the Pediatric Academic Societies Meetings. He is a Senior Scientific Mentor for the Scientific Advisory Council of the NEC Society. He has been recognized by the American Gastroenterological Association with a Research Scholar Award. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Pediatric Society, the NEC Society and the Society for Pediatric Research.

Dr. Giovanni Nardo has obtained Ph.D.in Pediatric Sciences (2012) and Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Digestive Endoscopy (2013) from “Sapienza” University of Rome. He is currently serving to Pediatric Gastroenterology Unit, Santobono-Pausilipon Hospital, Naples Italy. His skills and expertise are in Gastrointestinal Diseases, Gastroenterology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Endoscopy, IBS, Ulcerative Colitis, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, EUS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Crohn's Disease. He has contributed more than 180 publications, having citations around 2,486.

Dr. Kaushal Kishor Prasad (KKP) is a Professor and Chief of the Division of Gastrointestinal Histopathology in the Department of Superspeciality of Gastroenterology at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India. His main research areas of interest are celiac disease, microscopic colitis, extrahepatic portal vein obstruction and inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Kishor is an editorial board member of more than 60 international journals and reviewer of around 110 international journals. He has published 16 papers on celiac disease in reputable international journals and 3 articles in national journals.

Dr. Perrone did graduation from the University of Siena cum laude. She is a Pediatrician and Neonatologist, in Siena. She works as Associate Professor of Pediatrics at University of Parma, Italy, and Head of Neonatology Unit of the University Hospital of Parma. In February 2018, she becameFull Professor of Pediatrics in the university. She is involved in National and International multicenter research projects regarding neonatal neurology and oxidative stress in perinatal period. She is a member of the Executive Council of the Neonatal Hematology Study Group (Società Italiana di Neonatologia); Secretary of the Clinical Biochemistry Study Group, member and “Invited Speaker” at the European Workshop of Neonatology and numerous National and International Conferences.
Prof. Martin Post received Ph.D. from the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. Following postdoctoral research training at Harvard Medical School, he moved to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada. He became the head of various research programs in this hospital. Currently, he is a senior scientist in the translational medicine program at SickKids and a professor of physiology and pediatrics at the Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Toronto, Canada. His research is focused on pulmonary development, injury, and repair. He has published a number of papers and received numerous awards.

Prof. Prem Puri is the Newman's clinical research professor at the University College Dublin School of Medicine and Medical Science and Consultant Paediatric Surgeon at the Beacon Hospital. He is past president of the World Federation of Associations of Pediatric Surgeons (WOFAPS), and past president of the European Pediatric Surgeons Association (EUPSA). He is known internationally for his research on underlying mechanisms causing birth defects, and innovative treatments, which have benefited millions of children all over the world. He is one of the most cited pediatric surgical researchers in the world. His research work has been cited over 24,500 times in peer-reviewed articles with an h-index of 78 and i10-index of 503.

Giovanni A. Rossi is the former Chief and now the Chief Emeritus of the Pulmonary and Allergy Units and of the Regional Cystic Fibrosis Centre at the G. Gaslini Research Institute and University Hospital (Genoa, Italy). He graduated from the University of Genoa, Italy (1972) and then trained in respiratory medicine, first in the San Martino University Hospital and then in the Pulmonary Branch of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md, U.S.A. (1979-81). Giovanni Rossi was Member of the Executive Committee of the Société Européenne de Physiologie Clinique Respiratoire (1989-90), Cochairman and Chairman of the the "Lung Cell Biology" Assembly of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) (1990-1994).

Dr. Jessica M. Sales, PhD, received her PhD in Cognitive and Developmental Psychology from Emory University in 2004. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education at the Rollins School of Public Health in 2007. Dr. Sales is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education at Rollins School of Public Health, and she is also a Member of the Emory Center for AIDS Research and a Research Scientist for the Center for Translational and Prevention Science at the University of Georgia. She has over 100 peer-reviewed publications, and has presented her work in the United States and globally.

Dr. Tovar obtained his MD degree in Salamanca and his PhD degree in Valladolid. He trained in Valladolid, Paris, Madrid and Los Angeles and became the Chief of Pediatric Surgery and Associate Professor of Pediatrics in San Sebastian in 1977. He held this position until 1992 when he became Surgeon- in- Chief and Professor of Pediatrics at La Paz Childrens' Hospital, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. He retired from clinical duties in 2014 and became Emeritus Professor at the University. Dr Tovar has published more than 500 articles and over 100 book chapters. He mentored 23 PhD dissertations and developed 35 funded research projects. He was President of the Spanish and European Associations of Pediatric Surgeons and served as European Editor of the Journal of Pediatric Surgery until 2014.

Dr. Wagner is the Titus H. Harris Chair, Harry K Davis Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Dr. Wagner received her medical degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and her doctorate in clinical psychology from Temple University in Philadelphia. Dr. Wagner is an internationally recognized expert in the pharmacological treatment of childhood mood disorders. Dr. Wagner is past President, American Association of Directors of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and President-Elect of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.


Prof. Julie Magno Zito is a retired professor emerita of pharmacy and psychiatry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore where she worked for 25 years. She is trained in pharmacoepidemiology and has a number of papers dealing with the use of psychotropic medications in community-treated populations. Her team's research focus is on the use of psychotropic medication in children and adolescents, which has received widespread media attention. She has received more than 4 million dollars funded by NIH. Prior to joining the University of Maryland, Dr. Zito was employed by the New York State Office of Mental Health at the Nathan Kline Institute, where she authored a 1994 textbook "Psychotherapeutic Drug Monitoring". In 2008, Dr. Zito received the statewide faculty award for research and scholarship by the University of Maryland Regents.

Dr. Amir Babiker graduated from Sudan in 1998 and completed his basic and specialist training from the UK in 2002-2011. He became a consultant pediatrician and clinical lead at the endocrine service at Diana, Princess of Wales hospital, Grimsby, UK. He is a consultant pediatric endocrinologist, a clinical lead at pediatric endocrine/oncology service at King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital (KASCH) and an associate professor at King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAUHS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Dr. Babiker is the head of the scientific board of the research committee in the Department of Pediatrics at KASCH. He is also the deputy chair of the endocrine research committee of the Arab Society of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes (ASPED) since 2019. His research interest is in diabetes, endocrine/oncology and neuroendocrinology. He has a number of publications to his credit in international peer review journals including chapters in a book by Springer Nature publisher.