ISPCAN Team
Pragathi Tummala | Chief Executive Officer
As a 20 year public health veteran and mom of 3 daughters, working for ISPCAN has been a labor of love. I get to meet wonderful people all over the world, whose passion for children is so inspiring. Prevention is my focus and my goal is to make ISPCAN work better for members every single day. Making sure that we find great partners, bring value to our members, and grow ISPCAN while we advance data driven solutions is key. Improving global systems of care in a sustainable, practical way is a priority for me. Child abuse is 100% preventable, and it will take all of us to change the world. I know we can move the needle when we come together.
Jane Estes | Knowledge + Development
Bringing member resources to the global stage and creating a community of learning is so rewarding. As a mother of four, I wish for every child to have the opportunity to grow up happy and free to just be a kid. Everyone working in child protection has knowledge, challenges and experience to share outside of their discipline. Collaboration and lessons learned prevent burnout and improve outcome for children. We have the opportunity to look across silos and work smarter, together so children and families have better outcomes.
Holly Malcolm | Memberships + Marketing
Providing exceptional customer service to our global members and partners—and sharing our mission with the broader public—is at the heart of what I do. You matter to us. We’re proud to support your daily work, and we deeply value the vital contributions you make in research and practice. Our Partners and members are more than collaborators—they are an extension of ISPCAN, allowing us to achieve even more together. As a mom of twins and a passionate advocate for children, I have immense respect for our members who work tirelessly to improve the mental health and well-being of children and families—especially in these challenging times. Your dedication is both inspiring and deeply appreciated.
Bess Herbert | Senior Policy Advisor
I am committed, passionate and hopeful for children. I believe deeply in our commitment and obligation to uphold children’s rights and give them the best possible start in life, wherever and whoever they are. I have been incredibly lucky to spend my career advocating for an end to violence against children and have seen progress in the enactment and implementation of legislation prohibiting corporal punishment for hundreds of millions of children, among other measures of progress. By bringing together law, policy, practice and evidence with the spark of hopeful and determined vision I believe we can build non-violent childhoods!
Erik Palmquist | Web Development
Kourtney Rimbert | Accountant
ISPCAN Congress Organizers
Martina Käck
Martina Käck brings extensive experience in leading large, complex, and security-sensitive projects with full profit responsibility. Skilled in aligning diverse stakeholders toward common goals, she excels at driving development and innovation. She led marketing and digital communication at Visit Sweden and was Event manager for Sweden’s EU Presidency in 2009. Martina previously held leadership roles at Scandinavian Airlines in product development and passenger operations.
Catherine Thorsell
Catherine Thorsell is a seasoned leader in the event services industry, currently serving as Partner and Business Area Director at Way Sweden. With extensive experience in professional congress organization (PCO), she specializes in orchestrating large-scale conferences and events with precision and creativity. Her strategic vision and operational expertise have been instrumental in delivering seamless experiences for clients across various sectors. Catherine’s commitment to excellence and innovation has positioned her as a trusted partner in the Swedish and International event management landscape.
ISPCAN Journals Editors in Chief
M. Catherine Maternowska, PhD
The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Journal of Child Protection and Practice
M. Catherine Maternowska, medical anthropologist, author, and university professor, has over 30 years of global experience in socio-medical research, evaluation, and programming. Her work managing donor-financed national, regional and global health programs has focused on child protection and sexual and reproductive health with expertise in gender-based violence policy, prevention, care, and treatment. Dr. Maternowska is Professor of Violence Prevention at the University of Edinburgh and has worked in over 40 countries globally to innovate new approaches to data collection, evidence generation and learning. She is a distinguished researcher and authority in the use of mixed methodologies, community-based and applied research, data translation, and monitoring & evaluation. Dr. Maternowska’s work has influenced and contributed to child-friendly, gender-based violence policies and practice in dozens of countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas. Dr Maternowska is co-Editor in Chief of Child Protection and Practice–a journal celebrating the interface of academics and the field, bringing multi-sectoral child protection and child safeguarding research and practice into constructive and collaborative dialogue.
Christine Wekerle, PhD
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Journal of Child Protection and Practice
Dr. Christine Wekerle is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at McMaster University, with appointments at the Offord Centre for Child Studies and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences. She is also an Extraordinary Professor at North-West University, South Africa, and Director of Research at TorontoAdler Graduate Professional Schools. Holding a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Western Ontario, her research focuses on child maltreatment, adolescent mental health, dating violence, and Indigenous youth wellness, with innovations like the JoyPopTM app. She has hundreds of publications and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Child Protection and Practice, previously leading Child Abuse & Neglect (2015-2024). Dr. Wekerle contributes to boards like the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and consults for UNICEF, with expertise in violence prevention and health equity.
Tracie Afifi, PhD
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
The International Journal: Child Abuse and Neglect
Dr. Tracie Afifi is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Childhood Adversity and Resilience, Professor at the University of Manitoba, Director of the CARe Research Team, and Research Scientist at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. As Editor-in-Chief of Child Abuse & Neglect, her research focuses on child maltreatment, mental health, resilience, and prevention. She has over 240 publications, 220 conference presentations, and her work has been cited over 23,500 times (h-index: 73). Dr. Afifi has secured over $57 million in research funding and received numerous awards, including the 2018 Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize, 2019 CIHR Gold Leaf Award, and 2023 University of Manitoba Distinguished Alumni Award. She is a Royal Society of Canada member and a 2024 Falling Walls finalist.
Additional Support Provided by:
Sharon Want
Non-profit Attorney
Caplin & Drysdale, LLC
