On May 22, 2025, the Georgia Science Junction featured talks by Dr. Leslie Rubin and Kevin Li from the Break the Cycle of Health Disparities Program.
The talk opened with Dr. Leslie Rubin reflecting on two decades of work addressing children’s environmental health disparities. He traced the origins of his clinic in Atlanta, which began with serving children with cerebral palsy and quickly revealed a deeper pattern of poverty, environmental exposures, and lack of support systems driving poor health outcomes. Rubin emphasized how social determinants—like housing, education, and family income—interact with physical and emotional environments to impact child development. He illustrated a vicious intergenerational cycle where disadvantaged circumstances perpetuate poor health and limited opportunity, stressing that poverty isn’t just economic—it’s structural and environmental.
From there, the conversation transitioned to optimism and action. Rubin used the metaphor of mother rats grooming their young to explain how nurturing can alter a child’s developmental path—an early example of epigenetics. He shared findings from landmark educational interventions, like preschool programs and high-value teachers, that demonstrate measurable, long-term impacts on graduation rates, income, and reduced incarceration. These examples reinforced that while the challenges are systemic, early intervention and education can effectively “break the cycle.” Rubin’s initiative has empowered students across the country to develop and implement community-based projects addressing environmental and health disparities, producing research, publications, and tangible community change.
The session concluded with a presentation by Kevin Li, a recent graduate from Emory University and participant in the “Break the Cycle” program. Kevin introduced “Sprouting Readers,” a community-based after-school literacy and health education program for children in Atlanta food deserts. The program blends reading, STEAM activities, and nutrition education through intergenerational mentorship. Their evaluation showed significant improvements in kids’ knowledge around healthy eating and environmental stewardship. He highlighted the project’s expansion, its measurable impact, and its alignment with Rubin’s vision that meaningful, grassroots interventions—starting with education—can disrupt systemic cycles and create healthier, more empowered communities.
Speaker Bios
Dr. Leslie Rubin, Break the Cycle Director, is a Developmental Pediatrician who is originally from South Africa where he trained in Pediatrics and came to the USA in 1976. He was initially in Cleveland Ohio, then in Boston Massachusetts, and now in Atlanta Georgia. He is a Developmental Pediatrician at the Morehouse School of Medicine and at Emory University. He is dedicated to exploring the social, economic, and environmental determinants of health and in 2004 started a program called Break the Cycle of Children’s Environmental Health Disparities to raise awareness among university students about children’s health disparities and to cultivate future leaders.
Kevin Li just graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a minor in Comparative Literature. He co-leads Sprouting Readers, an after-school literacy program serving disadvantaged communities in Atlanta. Working alongside Eva, Mica, and Janet, Kevin helps integrate reading with STEAM activities, nutrition education, and environmental awareness. The program, established by Joan Wilson, takes a holistic approach to childhood development, aiming to improve not only reading skills but also health literacy and long-term wellness outcomes. Inspired by his work with Sprouting Readers, Kevin plans to attend medical school and explore how narrative medicine can help address systemic health disparities.