Beth Marks, PhD, RN, FAAN
Co-Director, HealthMatters Program
Research Associate Professor, Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois Chicago
Email: bmarks1@uic.edu
Beth is a Co-Director of the HealthMatters Program in the Department of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Past President, National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities. Beth directs research programs on the rights, empowerment, and advancement of persons with disabilities. She has published numerous articles and books related to health promotion, health advocacy, and primary health care for people with disabilities. She co-produced with Bronwynne Evans, RN, PhD, FAAN a film entitled “Open the Door, Get ‘Em a Locker: Educating Nursing Students with Disabilities.” She has also co-authored the Health Matters: The Exercise and Nutrition Health Education Curriculum for People with Developmental Disabilities and Health Matters for People with Developmental Disabilities: Creating a Sustainable Health Promotion Program.
Jasmina Sisirak, PhD, MPH
Co-Director, HealthMatters Program
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois Chicago
Email: jsisirak@uic.edu
Jasmina is a Co-Director of the HealthMatters Program in the Department of Disability and Human Development at University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research focuses on implementation science, nutrition, health literacy, and health promotion for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has written publications and presented papers around disability, health, and nutrition, and implementation science. Jasmina has co-authored the Health Matters: The Exercise and Nutrition Health Education Curriculum for People with Developmental Disabilities and Health Matters for People with Developmental Disabilities: Creating a Sustainable Health Promotion Program.
Jeanne Desjardins
Virtual Coach Assistant
Advanced Certified Instructor, HealthMatters Program
Email: desjardinsjeanne@gmail.com
Jeanne is an Educational Assistant with the Student Success Center at John Adams Middle School in Albuquerque, NM. She has worked with children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities for 41 years in various capacities and has taught the 12-week HealthMatters Program for many years. She is an Advanced Certified Instructor and the Virtual Coach Assistant for the HealthMatters Program. Jeanne has trained staff throughout New Mexico on how to implement the HealthMatters Program.
Kristin Krok, CTRS
Advanced Certified Instructor, HealthMatters Program
Director of Academies, Aspire Chicago
Kristin has been working with people with disabilities for over 25 years, and has experience in direct care, program management, and program development. She has overseen the development and expansion of health promotion programs at Aspire, while promoting wellness for individuals served. Kristin is also a community-academic partner and is an Advanced Certified Instructor for the HealthMatters Program.
Matthew P. Janicki, PhD
Healthy Brain Initiative, Co-Investigator
Research Associate Professor, Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois Chicago
Co-President, National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices (NTG)
Email: mjanicki@uic.edu
Matt is also a member of the federal NAPA Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services. Previously, he served as director for technical assistance for the former Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Developmental Disabilities and Health at the University, was director for aging and special populations for the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, and spent a year as a Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation’s Public Policy Leadership Fellow at the National Institute on Aging and the United States Senate. He was the principal investigator of several NIDRR-funded studies that examined how community agencies provide community supports to adults with intellectual disabilities affected by Alzheimer’s disease and how families are aided by community agencies in supporting adults with Down syndrome affected by Alzheimer’s disease, and was also the project director of a NIH-funded effort that provided the World Health Organization with a series of background reports on promoting longevity among adults with intellectual disabilities throughout the world. He served as an officer of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities from 2000-2008 and was the founding editor of the Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities. He is also the editor of numerous books and author of articles on aging, dementia, public policy, and rehabilitation concerning adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (including Dementia, Aging, and Intellectual Disabilities: A Handbook).
Kathy Service, RN, MS, FNP-BC, CDDN
Healthy Brain Initiative, NTG Coordinator
Board of Directors of the National Task Group on Dementia and Intellectual Disabilities (NTG)
Email: kathyservice@gmail.com
Kathy has worked in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) since 1976 both in institutional and community settings with the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS) until retirement in 2016, yet continues to consult on dementia matters for DDS. Over those years, in addition to hands-on clinical support, she has worked together with and presented to people with IDD and their families and direct support professionals. In 1995, she was the co-developer and coordinator of a series of presentations on dementia and people with IDD in Western Massachusetts. Kathy has served on advisory boards nationally and internationally, presented at domestic and foreign conferences, and written articles, book chapters and educational modules on topics of aging, dementia, loss and grief and nursing support of people with IDD. She had served on the initial Steering Committee and is currently on the Board of Directors of the National Task Group on Dementia and Intellectual Disabilities (NTG) and as a Master Trainer contributed to the NTG's Dementia Capable Curriculum. She is a Family Support Volunteer through the Alzheimer’s Association and locally conducts Dementia Friends sessions.
Joan Guthrie Medlen, MEd, RDN, LD
Consultant
Joan is a consultant to the HealthMatters Program Team. Joan has a long and diverse career in promoting health for people who experience disabilities, their families, and those who support them - including health care providers - with a special interest in Down syndrome. She was the editor of Disability Solutions: A resource for families and others interested in Down syndrome and related disabilities for over 10 years. In that role, Joan became a staunch advocate for wellness for people who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities. She continues to focus on translating research to easy-to-understand, ready-to-use information to create quality lives, quality health, and connected communities for people of all ages who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities. Joan is the author of The Down Syndrome Nutrition Handbook: A Guide to Healthy Lifestyles and Cooking by Color: Recipes for Independence, and publishes digital tools for families and professionals that promote person-centered practices for coaching individuals with IDD, their families, and those who support them.
