I plan to retire from federal service on May 31, 2026. It is a singular privilege to serve as the inaugural Director of the NIH ECHO Program since its inception in July 2016. After almost 10 years, the ECHO Cohort and the ECHO IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN) are mature, productive, and impactful. Today, ECHO is a leading source of evidence on the root causes and prevention of common chronic childhood conditions, and it is well positioned to expand its impact through continued rigorous, solution-oriented research, broad access to data and biospecimens, and translation of science into action.

While NIH actively searches for a new permanent director, ECHO Deputy Director Dr. S. Sonia Arteaga will continue to serve in a leadership role. Dr. Josh Denny will serve as acting director and Dr. Sara van Driest as senior advisor, each half time. Josh and Sara are, respectively, CEO and Director of Pediatrics for the All of Us Research Program, a sister program at NIH with a flagship adult cohort. Together, they will help advance alignment with the All of Us Research Program, but importantly, the programs will remain independent.

I encourage you to join the ECHO Symposium: Translating Science to Action on May 6, 2026, on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, and online. This free event will bring together researchers, policymakers, health professionals, advocates, and others to examine how chemical exposures affect child health and development—and how science is translated into meaningful action.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support for the ECHO Program, which is poised to substantially expand its impact on child health over the next few years.

Matthew Gillman, MD, SM
Director of the ECHO Program