Exploring Social, Economic and Environmental Determinants of Health
APRIL 26-28, 2026
The BTC 21 Trainees
Amelia Rowniewski
Supporting Children with Chronic Kidney Disease During Climate Emergencies
American University
Department of Health Studies
Amelia Rowniewski is a senior at American University majoring in Public Health with a minor in Health Promotion. She serves as the President and co-founder of Student Organ Donation Advocates @ American University, where she works to raise awareness about organ donation and encourages students to register as organ donors. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school.
Dr. Gabriella Meltzer
Assistant Professor; PhD, Public Health, New York University BA, Health and Societies, University of Pennsylvania
Brynn Beetow
Heat Related Illness in Athletes- Athletic Trainer/Coaches assessment
University of Illinois at Chicago
Public Health
Brynn Beetow is an MPH candidate at the University of Illinois at Chicago ,whose research focuses on heat stroke and other exertional heat illnesses in athletic populations. She integrates this work with applied experience as a high school lacrosse and field hockey coach, providing a unique perspective on translating epidemiologic and prevention research into on-field practice.
Dr .Susan Buchanan
MD,MPH,director of the Great Lakes Center for Children’s and Reproductive Environmental Health
Hatice Ulu Aydın
Bullying Among Roma Children With Intellectual Disabilities and Their Peers in Türkiye: A Pilot Study
Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University
Special Education Department
Hatice Ulu Aydın is a research assistant and doctoral student in the Department of Special Education at Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University. She graduated from Sakarya University in 2015, worked as a special education teacher for seven years, and completed her master’s degree in 2023. Her research focuses on autism, developmental disabilities, strength-based interventions, special interests, social skills, challenging behaviours, inclusion, and motivation.
İlknur Çifci Tekinarslan and Yeşim Güleç Aslan
Prof. Dr. and Prof. Dr.
Brooke Lawson Sautter
Bridging Care: Oral Health Services for Medicaid-Covered Children in Nebraska
University of Nebraska Medical Center
College of Public Health
Brooke Lawson Sautter, PhD(c), RDH, is a doctoral student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health and a practicing dental hygienist. Her research focuses on reducing oral health disparities, strengthening the dental workforce, and exploring the roles of community health workers (CHWs) in oral health promotion.
Aislinn Rookwood
PhD, MPH; Assistant Professor
Emalee Andrews
Early resource scarcity in female rats contributes to transcriptional and structural changes in the neurovascular unit of the prefrontal cortex
Georgia State University
Neuroscience
I am a Ph.D. student in Neuroscience at Georgia State University under the 2CI Neurogenomics Fellowship. My project examines how low-resource environments affect the blood–brain barrier in both sexes. I aim to understand how early adversity shapes brain development differently by sex, which may help explain sex-specific vulnerabilities to psychological challenges later in life.
Debra Bangasser
PhD
Bishesh Subba
From Clinic to Community: Addressing Social Drivers of Health to Improve Childhood Asthma Disparities
Williams College
Chemistry, Public Health
I am a recent graduate of Williams College with a major in Chemistry and a concentration in Public Health. I currently work as a Clinical Research Assistant at Northwell Health. I plan to pursue a career in medicine.
Vaidehi Jokhakar
LCSW, MPH, Supervisor of Social Work Services
Rachel Kuzmishin
From Clinic to Community: Addressing Social Drivers of Health to Improve Childhood Asthma Disparities
Cornell University
Division of Nutritional Sciences
I am a recent graduate from Cornell University, where I majored in Global and Public Health Sciences and minored in Health Care Policy. I currently work as a Clinical Research Assistant at Northwell Health, where I support multiple research projects and participate in the Patient Navigation program. I plan to pursue a clinical career in medicine.
Vaidehi Jokhakar
LCSW, MPH, Supervisor of Social Work Services
Arantzazu Irujo Urdiroz
An intergenerational life course approach to explore whether mothers’ positive early life experiences can buffer the impact of adverse childhood experiences on maternal health outcomes among American Indian Alaska Native mothers
University of Nevada Reno
College of Science
My name is Arantzazu Irujo Urdrioz, I earned my B.S. in Psychology at the University of Nevada Reno and now I am an MPH student with a concentration on Maternal and Child Health. I am an artist and more importantly a caregiver to my 89-year-old Basque Amatxi (grandma). I feel new to the world and know I have much growing I can’t wait to do.
Regina Idoate
A PhD in Preventive and Societal Medicine with graduate certificates in Native American Studies and Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology.
Skyler Recel-Chang
Vigilance in Adolescent Populations: How Chronic Anticipation of Discrimination Shapes Mental Health and Coping Behaviors
Brown University
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Skyler is a junior at Brown University majoring in Neuroscience and Critical Native American & Indigenous Studies. She is passionate about addressing how social disparities impact the mental health of vulnerable youth populations, and hopes to pursue a career in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Outside of her research and academics, she enjoys surfing, reading and playing guitar.
Anastacia Kudinova
PhD, MA and Clinical Psychologist and Research Scientist
Xabier Bingen Irujo Urdiroz
Indigenous Language Education as Cultural Revitalization: Effects of Basque Ikastolak on Identity and Health
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
My name is Xabier Irujo, I am a Native European/Basque student and have a Masters degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. I am currently a first year PhD student at UNMC within the department of Health Promotion under Dr. Regina Idoate. My research interest lies within transgenerational trauma, how it causes health disparities within indigenous populations, and how we can find ways to cure it. I have heard great things about Break The Cycle program and am very eager to be a part of it under Dr.Idoate and everyone else.
Regina Idoate
PhD in Preventive and Societal Medicine with graduate certificates in Native American and Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology
Sophie Ginsberg
The Correlation Between Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infection and Severity and Children’s Neighborhoods, Socioeconomic Factors, and Healthcare Access
University of Chicago
Biological Sciences Division
I am a third year undergraduate student at the University of Chicago studying biological sciences. I am working with Dr. Immergluck in researching pediatric infectious diseases and health disparities in children.
Lilly Cheng-Immergluck
MS, MD, Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist
Eve Bryner
Climate Change and Vector-Borne Diseases in Low-Income Children
American University
Department of Health Studies
Eve is a senior studying public health at American University in Washington, DC. Her research interests include infectious disease, health equity, and statistical modeling. In her free time, Eve enjoys swimming, crafting, and baking.
Gabriella Meltzer
BA, PhD; Joint Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Science & Health Studies
Libby Triebwasser
Immigrant Children, Health and Climate Change Within U.S Detention Facilities: An Extensive Review
American University
Department of Health Studies, College of Arts and Sciences
I am a 4th year public health student at American University in Washington DC. I am also planning to go to grad school for epidemiology and would like to do epidemiological research on environmental health disasters. Some other fun facts about me are that I am from California, have run a marathon, and like doing crosswords!
Dr. Gabriella Meltzer
PhD in Public Health/Bachelors in Arts in Health and Societies
Aditi Sharada
Parental Perceptions and Practices on Children’s Exposure to Plastic-Related Chemicals: The Role of Social Media Influence
Rutgers School of Public Health
Epidemiology
I am currently an MS student in Epidemiology (Pharmacoepidemiology) at Rutgers University, with interests in epidemiologic methods, pharmacoepidemiology, and perinatal epidemiology. I also bring five years of experience as a small and exotic animal veterinarian, along with two years of work in a cancer technology startup, which sparked my interest in data-driven clinical research.
Dr.Zorimar Rivera-Núñez
Ph.D/M.S. Assistant professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Member of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute
BREAK THE CYCLE OF
CHILDREN'S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES
21st ANNUAL PROGRAM
A Program of
Break the Cycle of Health Disparities, Inc.
Since the inception of our Annual Break the Cycle program 20 years ago, we have cultivated the interest of students to develop projects to examine the impact of social, economic, and environmental determinants of health on children who grow up in circumstances of social and economic disadvantage.
To date we have had over 200 student projects completed, presented and published that have illustrated the relationships between the lived experiences of vulnerable children and adverse health outcomes.
While the content of each student project demonstrated how to Break the Cycle at any point to reduce children’s health disparities, the accumulated findings from the collection of projects, revealed the relevance of the ecological model embedded in the Cycle of Health Disparities diagram.
The model conceptualized in the Cycle diagram implies an intergenerational perpetuation of the adverse experiences with associated adverse health outcomes, so, breaking the cycle becomes not only an immediate and time-limited interruption, but one that has significant and even profound, long term beneficial consequences.
Furthermore, examining the elements in the framework of the Cycle diagram will reveal the multiple and cumulative factors that result in adverse health outcomes, clearly stated in the Environmental Impact section as a combination of Increased Toxins and Increased Stress as the mediators of the Health Risk Factors, which are likewise, not always found in isolation, but more often than not, manifest as associated co-morbidities that are interactive and synergistic, with cumulative adverse outcomes (see diagram below).
About the
Break the Cycle Program
Children who grow up in an environment
where their parents are stressed by
job insecurity, income insecurity, housing insecurity, and food insecurity,
and live in an environment where the air they breathe is polluted,
and the food they eat is not nutritious,
and the houses and spaces where they live are
ill-kept, crowded and with limited access to greenspace,
and their schools are old and teachers are tired,
so their education is less than optimal,
and they have limited access to quality healthcare,
they are more likely to suffer from stress,
which cumulatively adversely affects their physical
and mental health and well-being,
and dims their aspirations for a promising future
for themselves and for their children.
Project Guidelines
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University students from all disciplines are invited to develop projects that creatively address social, economic, and environmental factors that adversely affect the health of children. Students are required to identify a mentor in their university departments to monitor and guide their projects.
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All applications are evaluated based on a focus to the cycle of environmental health disparities, the quality of the proposal, novelty, feasibility, and potential for sustainability. There are a limited number selected for full participation in the program each year.
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During the project period there are monthly conference calls to support the progress of the research projects, share ideas and assure that the project is on track and consistent with the spirit of the Break the Cycle concept.
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At the end of the project period, students are required to present their projects at a conference which will be open to the public and includes a keynote speaker of national stature. Conference date will be April 2024
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Students write papers on their projects which are submitted for publication in an international journal as a monograph of the Break the Cycle projects.
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We look froward to following the careers of the students and to remain in contact to monitor the impact of their participation in the Break the Cycle Program on their academic or professional careers.
The Break the Cycle Program focuses on raising awareness of children's environmental health disparities and on cultivating future leaders.
DESIRED OUTCOMES
To inspire students from a variety of academic disciplines to explore the relationship between adverse social, economic and environmental factors and the health and development of children and to creatively generate strategies to address the challenges
To collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of academic leaders from different universities and colleges to creatively examine the broader landscape of this topic
To promote leadership among students
To encourage faculty of our university partners to promote academic interest and social awareness of Children’s Environmental Health Disparities.
Each year, students and faculty from a variety of colleges and universities participate in developing projects that will
Break the Cycle of Children’s Environmental Health Disparities
to promote health equity for all children.
The students present their projects at a national conference and the results are published in international journals.
Since its inception in 2004, Break the Cycle (BTC) has partnered with over 80 university departments across 21 States in the US, as well as from 6 countries in Latin America and 2 countries in Africa, and has supported research for over 200 trainees. Annual BTC trainee projects are published in international journals and a book series on public health. Alumni of the BTC program rate their mentored research experiences highly and many pursue careers related to their Break the Cycle projects.
Environmental Health Disparities
Children who grow up in circumstances of social and economic disadvantage are at greater risk for exposure to adverse environmental factors and are more likely to suffer adverse health and developmental consequences. Break the Cycle supports an interdisciplinary set of student-driven research projects that explore the environmental, economic and social factors that adversely affect children’s health and creatively develop strategies to promote the health of children and, thereby, Break the Cycle of Children’s Environmental Health Disparities.
About the Program
Students are required to work with academic mentors from their respective university programs to submit a proposal on how they would develop a project to Break the Cycle. All proposals will be reviewed, and a limited number will be selected based on relevance to the cycle of environmental health disparities, creativity, feasibility, and strength of the project plan.
Those selected will have the opportunity to work with the Break the Cycle faculty and other students from around the country and internationally, to see the project to completion and present their research results and findings at an annual conference in Atlanta scheduled for the spring of 2025.
There will be monthly conference calls to review projects and provide perspectives and guidance on the projects. During these conference calls, faculty and students will have the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with their counterparts in other disciplines at other universities.
Students will also be required to write a scientific paper on their project which will be published in an international peer-review journal as well as a chapter in a book.
Who Can Apply
Students from all disciplines and training levels are encouraged to apply. This includes undergraduates, graduate students, medical residents, and fellows.