Exploring Social, Economic and Environmental Determinants of Health
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
BREAK THE CYCLE 18
April 17-18, 2023
The Hatchery, Emory University, Atlanta Ga
Theme for the Break the Cycle 18 Symposium: Break the Cycle of Health Disparities for Children from Indigenous Communities
Break the Cycle Director: Leslie Rubin MD
Break the Cycle of Children's environmental health disparities focuses on raising awareness of children's health disparities and on cultivating future leaders among university students nationally and internationally .
Questions?
Past conference monographs and presentations are available here.
BREAK THE CYCLE OF
CHILDREN'S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES
18th ANNUAL PROGRAM
A Program of
Break the Cycle of Health Disparities, Inc. and Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit at Emory University.
BTC 18 TRAINEES
Meet the BTC 18 trainees
Abayomi Jones
Developing Thick Skin: How FDA Labeling Loopholes Exacerbate Negative Impacts of Pediatric Eczema in Vulnerable Communities
Georgia State University, College of Law
J.D. Program, 2nd year
Mentor: Stacie Kershner JD
Aislinn Rookwood
Effectiveness of an Environmental Health Intervention to Address Childhood Asthma Disparities
University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health
PhD in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research, 3rd year
Mentor: Regina Idoate PhD
Anna McPeak
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Pandemic-Era Anti-Eviction Policies on Children's Health
Georgia State University College of Law
J.D. Candidate, 2nd year
Mentor: John Marshall JD
Austin Lee
Relationships between Neighborhood Child Opportunity, Air Pollution, and Buccal Telomere Length Among Children in a Safety-Net Medical Center
University of California, Berkeley, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health. Master of Science in Environmental Health Sciences, 2nd year
Mentor: Rosemarie, de la Rosa PhD, MPH
Banks Grubbs
The Role of Race in Access to Public Water and Sewer Service in Halifax County, NC
North Carolina State University Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering
Master of Science in Environmental Engineering
Mentor: Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson PhD
Jami Nakan
Optimal School Garden Model Strategies to Combat Food Insecurity
The University of North Georgia BiologyB.S. in Biology, Junior
Mentor: David Patterson PhD
Kaylee Stewart
Effects of Historic Redlining in Albany, New York: Presence of Stressors Surrounding Elementary Schools
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Population of Health Sciences
B.S. in Public Health, 3rd year
Mentor: Stacy Pettigrew PhD
Kimberly Hazard
Impacts of New-Use & Legacy Pesticide Exposure and Early Life Adversity on Neurodevelopment in the CHAMACOS Study of Mexican-American Children
University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health - Environmental Health Sciences
PhD Candidate, 3rd year, Environmental Health Sciences
Mentor: Jay Graham PhD, MBA, MPH
Margaret Pinder
Evaluating Socioeconomic Modifiers of the Relationship Between Maternal Disorders During Pregnancy and Later life Positive Child Health Among Individuals Born Extremely Preterm
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Environmental Sciences and Engineering
B.S.P.H. Environmental Health Sciences, Senior
Mentor: Rebecca Fry PhD
Nicole Houston
Taking a Wholistic Approach to Students in Special Education
Georgia State University, Learning Sciences
Ph.D. in Education Psychology, 1st year
Mentor: Miles Irving PhD
Qingyi Lan
Association of In-utero Exposure to Wildfire Smoke with Respiratory Outcomes by Critical Sensitive Windows in First-year Newborns and Effect Modification by Socio-economic Factor
University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health
Ph.D in School of Population and Public Health
Mentor: Sarah Henderson PhD
Sheril Mathew
Associations of Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Pediatric Populations
Nova Southeastern University, Public Health
B.S in Public Health,
Minor in Pre-Health, 2nd year
Mentor: Erin Biggs PhD MPH
Teresa Herrera
Air Pollution and Redlining in New York City: Impacts on Birth Outcomes
New York University, Population Health
PhD Population Heath Sciences
Mentors:
Akhgar Ghassabian MD, PhDLeonardo Trasande MD, MPP
Timothy Leung
Assessing the Effects of Lead in Private Well Water on Educational Outcomes Among North Carolina Children
North Carolina State University Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering
PhD in Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, 1st year
Mentor: Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson PhD
Yaruska Ordinola
Historical manufacturing sites, TCE, and links to birth defects in Rhode Island (2011-2020)
Brown UniversityMaster of Public Health in Epidemiology, 2nd year
Mentor: Diana Grigsby-Toussaint PhD
BTC 18 THEME:
BREAK THE CYCLE OF HEALTH DISPARITIES
FOR CHILDREN FROM INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
Every year Break the Cycle has a theme that is featured in a Symposium on day 2 of the Conference. This year the focus is on children from Indigenous communities.
Although children from Indigenous communities constitute less than 5% of the US population, they represent approximately 30% of all children in poverty.
Along with poverty they suffer from disproportionate health disparities with nutritional disorders and high levels obesity with obesity-related cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, developmental and learning disorders, as well as behavioral disorders as a consequence of trans-generational trauma with high rates of mental health concerns, including substance use, injury, violence, and suicide.
They are also at greater risk for exposure to environmental hazards that further compromise their health, and, to compound the situation, they have limited access to quality education and quality health care which perpetuates the Cycle of Health Disparities.
Our goal is to raise awareness and develop strategies to Break the Cycle of Health Disparities for this long-neglected group of vulnerable children. We invite and encourage young people from Indigenous communities to participate in this process and gain
confidence to Break the Cycle and become active future leaders in their communities.
With this knowledge and confidence, and building on the resiliency of these communities, they can work to assure that generations do not suffer the same physical and mental health disorders and engender dignity and pride.
(See adaptation of Tribal Medicine Wheel below.)
Day 1 Program:
9.00 am Welcome
Abby Mutic PhD, MSN, CNM
Director, Southeast Pediatric Environment Health Specialty Unit
Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta GA
9.05 am Message from ATSDR
Linda Hansen MD MPH
Chief, Environmental Medicine and Health Systems Intervention Section
Office of Capacity Development and Applied Prevention Science
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
9.10 am Message from EPA
Grace Robiou, MPH
Director, Office of Children’s Health Protection
Office of the Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
9.15 am Introduction to Break the Cycle
Leslie Rubin, MD
Director, Break the Cycle Program
Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta GA
Break the Cycle 18 Trainee Presentations
9.30 am
Banks Grubbs
The Role of Race in Access to Public Water and Sewer Service in Halifax County, NC
North Carolina State University Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering
Master of Science in Environmental Engineering
Mentor: Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson PhD
9.50 am
Kaylee Stewart
Effects of Historic Redlining in Albany, New York: Presence of Stressors Surrounding Elementary Schools
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Population of Health Sciences
B.S. in Public Health, 3rd year
Mentor: Stacy Pettigrew PhD
10.10 am
Anna McPeak
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Pandemic-Era Anti-Eviction Policies on Children's Health
Georgia State University College of Law
J.D. Candidate, 2nd year
Mentor: John Marshall JD
10.30 am HEALTH BREAK (15 min)
10.45 am
Yaruska Ordinola
Historical manufacturing sites, TCE, and links to birth defects in Rhode Island (2011-2020)
Brown University
Master of Public Health in Epidemiology, 2nd year
Mentor: Diana Grigsby-Toussaint PhD
11.05 am
Qingyi Lan
Association of In-utero Exposure to Wildfire Smoke with Respiratory Outcomes by Critical Sensitive Windows in First-year Newborns and Effect Modification by Socio-economic Factor
University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health
Ph.D in School of Population and Public Health
Mentor: Sarah Henderson PhD
11.25 am
Teresa Herrera
Air Pollution and Redlining in New York City: Impacts on Birth Outcomes
New York University, Population Health
PhD Population Heath Sciences
Mentors:
Akhgar Ghassabian MD, PhD
Leonardo Trasande MD, MPP
11.45 am
Margaret Pinder
Evaluating socioeconomic modifiers of the relationship between maternal disorders during pregnancy and later life Positive Child Health among individuals born extremely preterm
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Environmental Sciences and Engineering
B.S.P.H. Environmental Health Sciences, Senior
Mentor: Rebecca Fry PhD
12.05 pm Keynote Speaker:
Rebecca Fry
Optimizing the health of children born extremely preterm through solution-oriented research
Rebecca Fry, Ph.D. is the Carol Remmer Angle Distinguished Professor in Children’s Environmental Health and Associate Chair in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill.
12.25 pm LUNCH BREAK (1 hour)
1.25 pm
Austin Le
Relationships between Child Opportunity and Telomere Length Among Children
University of California, Berkeley, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health. Master of Science in Environmental Health Sciences,
2nd year
Mentor: Rosemarie de la Rosa PhD, MPH
1.45 pm
Abayomi Jones
Developing Thick Skin: How FDA Labeling Loopholes Exacerbate Negative Impacts of Pediatric Eczema in Vulnerable Communities
Georgia State University, College of Law
J.D. Program, 2nd year
Mentor: Stacie Kershner JD
2.05 pm
Nicole Houston
Examining the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Educational Outcomes of Students with and Emotional Behavior Disorders
Georgia State University, Learning Sciences
Ph.D. in Education Psychology, 1st year
Mentor: Miles Irving PhD
2.25 pm
Jami Nakan
Optimal School Garden Model Strategies to Combat Food Insecurity
The University of North Georgia Biology
B.S. in Biology, Junior
Mentor: David Patterson PhD
2.45 pm Keynote Speaker:
Dana Suskind
Beyond the Operating Room: The Importance of the Social Determinants of Health
Dana Suskind, MD Professor of Surgery, Pediatrics and Public Policy (affiliated), University of Chicago Director and Co-director of the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health
3.05 am HEALTH BREAK (15 min)
3.20 pm
Sheril Mathew
Associations of Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Pediatric Populations
Nova Southeastern University, Public Health
B.S in Public Health, Minor in Pre-Health, 2nd year
Mentor: Erin Biggs PhD MPH
3.40 pm
Timothy Leung
Assessing the effects of lead in private well water on educational outcomes among North Carolina children
North Carolina State University Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering
PhD in Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, 1st year
Mentor: Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson PhD
4.00 pm
Kimberly Hazard
Impacts of new-use & legacy pesticide exposure and early life adversity on neurodevelopment in the CHAMACOS study of Mexican-American children
University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health - Environmental Health Sciences
PhD Candidate, 3rd year, Environmental Health Sciences
Mentor: Jay Graham PhD, MBA, MPH
4.20 pm
Aislinn Rookwood
Effectiveness of an environmental health intervention to address childhood asthma disparities
University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health
PhD in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research, 3rd year
Mentor: Regina Idoate PhD
4.00 pm Conclusion
Leslie Rubin, MD
Director, Break the Cycle Program
4.00 pm Adjourn
DAY 2: Symposium
Break the Cycle of Environmental Health Disparities for Indigenous Children
Jordyn Gunville, MPH, CPH – Keynote and Mentor
Doctorate student, Research Assistant
Department of Population Health
University of Kansas School of Medicine A Health Policy Research Scholar
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Regina Idoate PhD – Mentor
Assistant Professor
Department of Health Promotion
College of Public Health
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Carmela Rigatuso is a member of the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin and a Youth Enjoy Science Cancer Research Intern through the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She is a freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, double majoring in Psychology and Biology with minors in religious studies and ethnic studies, on a pre-med track. She has research interests in environmental health and Native American health disparities and aspires to work in the Indian Health Service as a physician scientist.
Bryce Johnson is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe and a Youth Enjoy Science Cancer Research Intern through the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He is a freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, double majoring in Psychology and Sociology. His research interests public policy, community engaged research, and Native American health disparities.
Mariah Abney is a member of the Eastern Band Cherokee Tribe, a mother and a Youth Enjoy Science Cancer Research Intern through the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She is an undergraduate media communications student studying at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and Metropolitan Community College. She loves learning through storytelling and believes that “everyone has a story to tell, and everyone deserves a seat at the table to share it. When we share our life testimonies, we heal ourselves and the community around us.” It is her mission to bring healing in an integrated approach through her calling in research, arts, and media.
Kyle X. Hill, PhD, MPH - Mentor
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa | Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate | Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
Assistant Professor
Department of Indigenous Health
School of Medicine and Health Sciences
University of North Dakota
Lynn Mad Plume, MPH, PhD(c)
Indigenous Health PHD Student
Research Coordinator
Department of Indigenous Health
Lynn Mad Plume, is Niitsitapi from Browning, MT.,
located on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.
Lynn’s research focuses are; Indigenous Evaluation, Arts-Based Research Methods, Culturally- Responsive Methodology, Indigenous/Native knowledge production, and Healing-Centered Engagement.
She is a PhD Candidate, Department of Indigenous Health at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota
The topic of her presentation is:
Storying Blackfeet Resilience through Matriarchy: Indigenizing Family Connectedness and Strengthening Kinship Structures
Break the Cycle supports student-driven research projects that explore social, economic, and environmental factors that adversely affect children’s health and well-being and develop creative strategies to promote health and well-being for children and, thereby, Break the Cycle of Environmental Health Disparities
Please email lrubi01@emory.edu if you have any questions
Break the Cycle of children’s Environmental Health Disparities is a program featuring students from universities around the country who will present their projects on strategies to improve the quality of life for children who grow up under adverse social, economic and environmental circumstances.
