As the ECHO Program moves into 2026, we continue to deepen our understanding of how environmental exposures during pregnancy and childhood influence health outcomes. By studying these early windows of development, ECHO helps identify opportunities for action that strengthen trajectories of health throughout kids’ lives.

On May 6, 2026, ECHO will host the 2nd annual ECHO Translating Science to Action Symposium, a hybrid event that this year focuses on plastics and air quality, highlighting how evidence on these widespread exposures can inform programs, policy, and practice. Feedback on our inaugural Symposium in 2025 was highly positive, and we’ll build on that momentum in this and coming years.

The symposium underscores ECHO’s role in both maximizing scientific insights and translating evidence into action. You can read more about the event in the latest issue of the Connector, and I hope you’ll register to attend.

I look forward to continuing to engage with you—our research community and partners—to enhance child health in 2026 and beyond.

Matthew Gillman, MD, SM
Director of the ECHO Program