International Committee

Our mission

  • Promoting international membership in the society
  • Increasing collaborative research in pediatric psychology internationally, both in developed and developing countries.
  • Increasing pediatric psychology treatment and clinical practice internationally, both in developed and developing countries.
  • Increasing prominence of the society internationally so that it becomes a truly international pediatric psychology society.
  • Building partnerships with other pediatric psychology organizations worldwide.

Initiatives to date to achieve this mission:

  • There is now always at least one international keynote speaker featured at the SPPAC meeting.
  • SPP has made formal connections with the UK, Dutch and Italian Pediatric Psychology Networks, all of whom have a representative on our SPP International Committee.
  • We have teamed up with the student advisory board to extend the campus representative model to universities outside of the USA.
  • An International Collaboration Award has been established, facilitating a visit of up to one early career members to a lab or clinic outside of their country of residence.
  • Several members of the SPP International Committee attended the Pediatric Psychology Strategic Meeting at European Pediatric Psychology Conference 2018. This meeting aimed to discuss how we can establish collaborations between SPP and European colleagues (e.g., with regard to conferences / organization of pediatric psychology networks), and how we can strengthen networks of pediatric psychology across Europe.

Connect with the SPP International Committee

Spotlight on International Activities:

Video coming soon which will explore what pediatric psychology research and practice looks like in a few different countries.

International Journals and Publications for Pediatric Psychology

  • Both our journals, the Journal of Pediatric Psychology and Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, accept manuscripts with an international focus.
  • To highlight the international endeavors of pediatric psychology, a special issue of Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology on the Global Reach of Pediatric Psychology was published. You can access the special issue here.
  • The Journal of Pediatric Psychology has recently started a student journal club, which is open to international current students or postdoctoral researchers. The journal club provides trainees with an opportunity to critically evaluate an article published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology through writing an accompanying commentary for the article.

Committee Members

  • Rocio de la Vega, Committee Chair. Faculty, University of Málaga, Spain (2022-2025)
  • Ana Diaz le PageSPP MAL-Membership. Faculty, Nemours Children's Hospital, USA (2024-2026)
  • Karolijn DulferDutch-PPN Liason. Faculty, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Netherlands
  • Caroline HearySIGPeP. Faculty, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
  • Concetta PolizziSIPPed. Faculty, University of Palermo, Italy
  • Yvonne VancePPN-UK Liaison. Faculty, Wishaw General Hospital, Scotland
  • Lauren Kelada, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, Australia (2024-2026)
  • Laura Rockman, Faculty, Auckland District Health Board | Starship Hospital, New Zealand (2021-2024)
  • Sandra Soca, Trainee, University of South Florida, US/Cuba (2024-2026)
  • Lauren Potthoff, Faculty, Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, USA (2023-2025)
  • Emma Fisher, Faculty, University of Bath, UK (2023-2025)
  • Ryan Parsons, Trainee, University of Bath, UK/South Africa (2023-2025)
  • Anna Hood, Faculty, University of Manchester, UK (2023-2025)
  • Kindell Schoffner, Faculty, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta/Emory School of Medicine, USA (2023-2025)
  • Jenn Hansen-Moore, Faculty, Nationwide Children's Hospital, USA (2023-2025)
  • Dovilė Mikučionytė, Trainee, Vilnius University, Lithuania (2024-2026)