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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 .

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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

TRAINEES

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. 

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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

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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 
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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.

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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.

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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

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Lynn Mad Plume, MPH, PhD(c)
Indigenous Health PHD Student
Research Coordinator
Department of Indigenous Health
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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
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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.

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