Mercy College’s RIMI Program to Host “Fetal, Child and Maternal Health – New Research and Policies” on Conference

Mercy College’s Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions (RIMI) program will host a free, day-long conference, “Fetal, Child and Maternal Health – New Research and Policies,” on Thursday, April 7, from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at its Dobbs Ferry campus.

The conference will highlight factors that affect maternal health, pregnancy outcomes, and child health as they relate to minority health and health disparities including recommendations for changes in policy and health behaviors. Presentations include:

• “Impact of Poverty on Children’s Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Health”
  Lawrence Aber, Ph.D., New York University, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development
•  “Effects of Environmental Toxins on Child Development – Social Justice Implications”
  Virginia Rauh, Sc.D., M.S.W., Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health
•  “Maternal HIV/AIDS Transmission – Prevention and Treatment”
  Rodney L. Wright, M.D., M.S., Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine
•  “Maternal Mental Health”
  Kimberly Ann Yonkers, M.D., Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
•  “The Effect of Maternal Stress on Perinatal Development”
  Lisa Ecklund-Flores, Ph.D., Mercy College, Department of Psychology
• “The Roots of Newborn Brain Activity and Behavior”
  William Fifer, Ph.D., Columbia University, New York

The event is open to the public, with free admission, refreshments, and parking. To RSVP, contact Ruth Rivera at rrivera@mercy.edu or visit http://www8.mercy.edu/redir/rimirsvp/.