Lula Cahen

Hello, my name is Lula Callen. 

I am the Assistant Program Director for the Institute for the Study of Disadvantage and Disability (ISDD).  I work directly with Janice Nodvin, Program Director with Project GRANDD and Healthcare Without Walls.  I have a bachelor degree in Administrative Management (personnel) and a graduate certificate in Gerontology. Two of my career goals in life were to work with children with disabilities and older adults.  One of my goals came true when I dedicated ten years to working with children diagnosed with Emotional Behavior Disorder, physical disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Down syndrome, Learning Disabilities, ADHD, and others. I worked with the children one-on-one, as well as in a resource and self-contained classroom. This was truly a rewarding experience.  ISDD has allowed me the opportunity to work in the field of my other interest--working with older adults.  The welfare and well-being of the elderly has always near and dear to my heart. I was born to elderly parents (born in 1911/1922); therefore, causing me to have an innate understanding of what some older adults are faced with daily living. I had a sister who had a  serve stroke and became disabled.  My parents faced disappointment and disparities due to the lack of knowledge of available resources and not qualifying for services.  Working for ISDD has afforded me the ability to work with both of my career interests … working with children with disabilities and older adults at the same time.

New Board Members:

REBECCA POLINSKY, JD –
Ms. Polinsky is a Registered Mediator with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution. She is a former Health Disparities Fellow with the Health Law Partnership (HeLP) at Hughes Spalding Hospital of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and a former law clerk at CARE USA. She sits on the Advisory Board of Healthcare Without Walls.

PATRICIA SOLOMON, BA –
Ms. Solomon is the Family Engagement Specialist at the Georgia Department of Education. She is a national speaker of special education rights and a parent advocate.  She has recently created for the Department of Education a series of videos explaining the special education laws and rights.

April 2

BREAK THE CYCLE 7

Conference scheduled for April 2, 2012 at Emory University

Events

April 2

BREAK THE CYCLE 7

Conference scheduled for April 2, 2012 at Emory University

Current student researchers and faculty mentors are busy working on their research projects that “break the cycle” of environmental health disparities.
Gerald Blaney of Mercer U. School of Medicine, Dept. of Community Medicine is working with Dr. Yudan Wei on his project entitled:  Disparities in Arsenic exposure among children and adolescents in U.S.           

Cappy Collins, MD from Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Preventive Medicine and is mentored by Perry Sheffield, MD on a project determining the efficacy of a bicycling program at a community based program to increase social health measures. The program is called Cyclopedia.

Vihra Groueva of Tulane Law School is researching the Effectiveness of foreign food aid initiatives in addressing child malnutrition and long-term impact on children’s health. His faculty mentor is Dr. Colin Crawford 

Hilary Henry with Dr. Pamela Maxson of Duke University, Children’s Environmental Health Initiative, Nicholas School of the Environment, are examining the relationship between pediatric asthma and air pollution exposure in Durham, North Carolina

Kathryne Kramer, also with Dr. Colin Crawford, The Sufficiency of Community-collected Data As Evidence to Prove Violations of the Hazardous Air Pollution (HAP)  Provisions of the Clean Air Act

Lauren Messina with Dr. Michael Kramer of the Emory Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology are researching the Temporal trends in small-area violent crime and preterm birth.

Luceta McRoy from the University of Alabama at Birmingham,Department of Health Sciences, is researching The effects of Direct to Consumer Advertising (DTCA) on asthma medication utilization of Medicaid children. She is mentored by Dr. Meredith Kilgore and Dr. Robert Weech-Maldonado.

Denise Smith of Morehouse School of Medicine has chosen to research a project with school children entitled: The Use of an Indoor Garden to Improve Nutritional Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors in School-aged children in Metropolitan Atlanta. She is mentored by Dr.  Stephanie Miles-Richardson.