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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250910T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250910T140000
DTSTAMP:20260412T133855
CREATED:20250825T142046Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251001T122709Z
UID:16951-1757509200-1757512800@echochildren.org
SUMMARY:Chang Liu\, Ph.D: Early Childhood BMI Trajectories and Weight Status Lability: Leveraging ECHO's Longitudinal Data to Identify Critical Developmental Patterns
DESCRIPTION:Early Childhood BMI Trajectories and Weight Status Lability: Leveraging ECHO’s Longitudinal Data to Identify Critical Developmental Patterns \nKey Takeaways: Dr. Liu will present findings from three studies using data from thousands of children in the ECHO cohort to examine early childhood BMI development and its implications for future health risks. \n\nDistinct BMI Trajectory Patterns: About 10% of children show rapid increases in BMI starting at age 3.5\, reaching an average BMI exceeding the 99th percentile by age 9.\nBMI Z-score Lability: This new risk indicator highlights factors like breastfeeding and neighborhood resources that influence weight status fluctuations.\nDevelopmental outcomes: The third study explored how early BMI z-score lability patterns predict developmental outcomes in middle childhood.\n\nThese findings provide new insights into early childhood development and potential intervention opportunities. \n \nChang Liu\, Ph.D. \nAssistant Professor in the Department of Psychology \nWashington State University \nCo-I of ECHO Cohorts 12101/12102/12103 \nSpeaker Biography: \nDr. Chang Liu\, Ph.D.\, an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Washington State University studies how developmental processes and mechanisms shape resilience vs. maladjustment in children and mothers. Her work integrates multiple levels of analysis\, including prenatal adversities\, genetic influences\, and early parental. This has led to three lines of social-emotional development research focused on children’s regulation vs. maladjustment: characterizing dynamic change and how parents and children co-regulate emotions\, the relationship between genes\, pre- and post- natal environment influences\, and the impact of different contexts of development on risk and resilience in children and mothers. Recently she began examining childhood obesity\, using innovative longitudinal methodologies and concepts like body mass index (BMI) z-score lability. \nDownload the slide presentation
URL:https://echochildren.org/event/chang-liu-ph-d-early-childhood-bmi-trajectories-and-weight-status-lability-leveraging-echos-longitudinal-data-to-identify-critical-developmental-patterns/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251008T140000
DTSTAMP:20260412T133855
CREATED:20250916T154449Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251224T025142Z
UID:17225-1759928400-1759932000@echochildren.org
SUMMARY:Christine Loftus\, MS\, MPH\, Ph.D: Where there’s smoke… there’s action?  What ECHO can do to protect children from wildfire smoke
DESCRIPTION:Where there’s smoke… there’s action? What ECHO can do to protect children from wildfire smoke \nCLICK HERE TO JOIN THE PRESENTATION VIA TEAMS \nKey Takeaways: \nWildfire smoke exposure is a growing public health crisis\, causing significant harm to children nationwide. In 2025 alone\, an estimated 12\,000 ECHO participants have experienced at least one serious smoke event. Dr. Loftus’s presentation will describe wildfire smoke research in progress across the ECHO Program\, including a new study collecting time-sensitive data after smoke events\, aiming to characterize short-term health impacts and parents’ efforts to reduce child smoke exposure. Dr. Loftus will also discuss potential future research directions for the program\, focusing on solution-oriented studies that leverage key strengths of the ECHO Cohort. \n \nChristine Loftus\, MS\, MPH\, Ph.D\nClinical Associate Professor\nEnvironmental and Occupational Health Sciences\nUniversity of Washington \nProject Director  within Cohort 306\nAward PI: ECHO Opportunities and Innovation Fund (OIF)\nCo-chair: ECHO Air Pollution and Wildfire Smoke Interest Group \nSpeaker Biography: \nDr. Christine Loftus is a Clinical Associate Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington. Her research program focuses on environmental exposures and child health\, including through applications of advanced study designs and statistical methods\, community-engaged methods for remote and rural settings\, and intervention research. She served as the science director of the PATHWAYS Consortium in ECHO Cycle 1 and is currently the project director of a new ECHO site in the Yakima Valley\, recruiting new pregnancies. She’s the co-chair of the ECHO Air Pollution and Wildfire Smoke Interest Group and is principal investigator of an ECHO Opportunities and Innovation Fund award in progress\, The Development and Evaluation of a Wildfire Smoke Protocol for Rapid Response (WiSPRR). \nKeywords: Wildfires\, smoke\, interventions\, disaster response \nDownload the slide presentation
URL:https://echochildren.org/event/christine-loftus-ms-mph-ph-d-where-theres-smoke-theres-action-what-can-echo-do-to-protect-children-from-wildfire-smoke/
CATEGORIES:environmental,innovations,outcomes
ORGANIZER;CN="Samia Baluch":MAILTO:saimia.baluch@duke.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T140000
DTSTAMP:20260412T133855
CREATED:20251013T142445Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251201T172622Z
UID:17368-1762952400-1762956000@echochildren.org
SUMMARY:Ricardo Bertolla\, PhD: Paternal effects on child health and development: where are we now\, where do we need to be?
DESCRIPTION:Paternal effects on child health and development: where are we now\, where do we need to be? \nKey Takeaways: For this talk\, Dr. Bertolla will focus on what is currently known about paternal effects on obstetric outcomes that could impact child health and development\, and on direct paternal effects that have been shown to impact child health and development. Dr. Bertolla will focus on both animal and human studies. He will also present information of these outcomes in infertility cohorts\, where paternal effects have been particularly important in child health and development. \n \nRicardo Bertolla\, PhD \nAssociate Professor \nC.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development \nDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology \nWayne State University\, School of Medicine \nSpeaker Biography: Dr. Bertolla is an Associate Professor at the C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development at Wayne State University. His research is focused on cellular and molecular mechanisms of male infertility. \nDownload the slide presentation
URL:https://echochildren.org/event/ricardo-bertolla-phd-paternal-effects-on-child-health-and-development-where-are-we-now-where-do-we-need-to-be/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251210T140000
DTSTAMP:20260412T133855
CREATED:20251208T163911Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260105T161334Z
UID:17515-1765371600-1765375200@echochildren.org
SUMMARY:Allan C. Just\, PhD: Air pollution and temperature as spatial factors impacting child health
DESCRIPTION:Air pollution and temperature as spatial factors impacting child health \nKey Takeaways: For this talk\, Dr. Just explores how air pollution and temperature act as spatial factors impacting child health\, with a focus on advanced exposure modeling using satellite data and machine learning. It highlights unique opportunities within the ECHO program to build spatiotemporal exposure models\, integrate diverse data sources\, and improve the accuracy of environmental health studies. Dr. Just also discusses technical challenges\, model comparisons\, and the importance of analyzing short-term exposures and humidity’s role in heat-related health outcomes. \n \nAllan C. Just\, PhD \nNazareth-Ferguson Family University Associate Professor \nof Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology and \nInstitute at Brown for Environment and Society \nSpeaker Biography: Allan C. Just\, PhD\, is an Associate Professor of Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology and the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society at Brown University. Dr. Just specializes in environmental exposure modeling and epidemiology\, leveraging satellite data and earth observations to enhance exposure assessment for large health registries and cohort studies. Dr. Just is recognized for advancing methodologies in air pollution and temperature modeling to support child health research. \nDownload the slide presentation
URL:https://echochildren.org/event/allan-c-just-phd-air-pollution-and-temperature-as-spatial-factors-impacting-child-health/
CATEGORIES:airways,environmental,innovations,outcomes
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260114T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260114T140000
DTSTAMP:20260412T133855
CREATED:20251224T031731Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260203T211523Z
UID:17652-1768395600-1768399200@echochildren.org
SUMMARY:Jean Kerver\, PhD\, MSc\, RD: Incorporating Early Life Micronutrient Status in ECHO studies of Neurodevelopment
DESCRIPTION:Incorporating Early Life Micronutrient Status in ECHO studies of Neurodevelopment \nKey Takeaways: \nIt is known that early life nutrition\, including pregnancy diet and infant feeding\, is critical for brain development\, yet the impact of the suboptimal micronutrient status of the US population is unknown. In this presentation\, Dr. Kerver discusses micronutrient status\, highlighting biomarkers rather than dietary intake\, and its impact on neurodevelopment. She reviews often overlooked interactions between nutrients and environmental toxicants. Dr. Kerver suggests areas where ECHO can better leverage existing knowledge about nutrition’s impact on neurodevelopment. She advocates for greater integration of these interactions in ECHO analyses. \n \nJean Kerver\, PhD\, MSc\, RD  \nDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics\nCollege of Human Medicine\, Traverse City Campus\nMichigan State University\nContact Principal Investigator of ECHO Award 129 \nSpeaker Biography: \nJean Kerver\, PhD\, MSC\, RD\, is the contact Principal Investigator of ECHO Award 129 at Michigan State University. An epidemiologist and registered dietitian\, Dr. Kerver investigates perinatal causes of childhood disorders and develops strategies to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors among families experiencing poverty or other challenges. Based in Traverse City\, Dr. Kerver supports MSU’s College of Human Medicine rural research network initiative. Her primary research focuses on micronutrients and neurodevelopment\, with an emphasis on biomarkers and exposures. \nDownload the slide presentation
URL:https://echochildren.org/event/jean-kerver-phd-msc-rd-incorporating-early-life-micronutrient-status-in-echo-studies-of-neurodevelopment/
CATEGORIES:environmental,innovations,neuro,pregnancy
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260211T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260211T140000
DTSTAMP:20260412T133855
CREATED:20251224T035340Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260220T212221Z
UID:17654-1770814800-1770818400@echochildren.org
SUMMARY:Courtney K Blackwell\, PhD\, MEd: The kids are(n’t) alright: The role of social media in youth mental health  
DESCRIPTION:The kids are(n’t) alright: The role of social media in youth mental health   \nKey Takeaways: The parallel rise of youth mental health problems and social media use has led to speculations that the latter is a key contributor to the former. The US Surgeon General’s Advisory bolstered such speculations with a recent report detailing the potential harmful effects of social media use on youth mental health. However\, others suggest engaging in social media can have positive psychological influences by increasing social connectedness and providing opportunities for creative self-expression and identity exploration. Dr. Blackwell will explore this duality by reviewing what we know about youth social media use and mental health outcomes\, highlighting recent and on-going ECHO studies on this topic. She will also provide insight into the ECHO media use data more broadly to inspire future work leveraging the ECHO Cohort. \n \nCourtney K Blackwell\, PhD\, MEd\nshe/her/hers\nAssociate Professor\nDepartment of Medical Social Sciences (Outcome and Measurement Science)\nFeinberg School of Medicine\, Northwestern University\nMPI\, ECHO Measurement Core \nBiography: \nCourtney Blackwell\, PhD\, MEd\, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is the MPI of the ECHO Measurement Core and has expertise in the development\, validation\, and implementation of patient-reported outcome measures and population health surveys for use across the lifespan\, general and clinical populations\, and health domains. Her research on pediatric mental health and well-being emphasizes promotive and protective factors of children’s positive psychological health. With a background in communication studies and the effects of digital media on child development\, Dr. Blackwell has spent the past 10 years collaborating with such organizations as Common Sense Media\, Sesame Workshop\, PBS\, Google\, and Code.org on national surveys of children’s media use\, the development and evaluation of educational media products\, and investigations of the effects of digital media on children’s learning and development. She is also a Faculty Affiliate with the Northwestern University Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences (“DevSci”) and the Northwestern Institute for Adolescent Mental Health and Well-Being. \nDownload the slide presentation
URL:https://echochildren.org/event/courtney-k-blackwell-phd-med-adolescent-social-media-and-mental-health/
CATEGORIES:neuro,outcomes,positive
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T140000
DTSTAMP:20260412T133855
CREATED:20260220T191125Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260330T143850Z
UID:17983-1773234000-1773237600@echochildren.org
SUMMARY:Alicia Peterson\, PhD: Early-Life PFAS Exposure and Child Health: Evidence from the NIH ECHO Cohort
DESCRIPTION:Early Life PFAS Exposure and Child Health: Evidence from the NIH ECHO Cohort \nKey Takeaways: The widespread presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment has raised concerns about their potential impacts on child health. This presentation will explore the current state of knowledge by reviewing PFAS exposure and child health research within the ECHO Program. The talk will highlight the PFAS data available through ECHO\, summarize key findings from ECHO-supported studies\, and examine evidence linking prenatal and early life PFAS exposure to a range of health outcomes. It will also discuss the strengths of the ECHO platform\, identify remaining research gaps\, and consider future directions to advance understanding and prevention of PFAS-related health impacts in children. \n \nAlicia Peterson\, PhD \nStaff Scientist\nKaiser Permanente Northern California\nDivision of Research\nWomen’s and Children’s Health Section\n \nBiography: \nAlicia Peterson\, PhD\, is a Staff Scientist in the Division of Research at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. A perinatal and environmental epidemiologist by training\, her research focuses on sensitive windows of exposure across the preconception\, prenatal\, and early-life periods. She examines environmental contaminants and metabolic exposures that may influence in utero programming and shape later growth\, metabolic health\, and pubertal development. \nDr. Peterson has been involved in ECHO since 2017\, initially completing her dissertation within the Cycle 1 MADRES Cohort. She now serves as a Co-Investigator in the Kaiser Permanente pregnancy and pediatric cohorts. She previously served as Co-Chair of the ECHO PFAS Special Interest Group and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Chemical and Physical Exposures Working Group. She is also the recipient of an ECHO Cycle 2\, Round 1 Opportunities and Innovation Fund (OIF) award examining early-life air pollution exposure and pubertal development. \nDownload the slide presentation
URL:https://echochildren.org/event/alicia-peterson-phd-early-life-pfas-exposure-and-child-health-evidence-from-the-nih-echo-cohort/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260408T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260408T140000
DTSTAMP:20260412T133855
CREATED:20260318T195657Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T204328Z
UID:18094-1775653200-1775656800@echochildren.org
SUMMARY:Elissa Z Faro\, PhD: Participant Experience in Longitudinal Research
DESCRIPTION:Participant Experience in Longitudinal Research \nKey Takeaways: \nDuring this presentation\, Dr. Faro will provide an overview of the current research on participant experience in longitudinal research. She will also present the analysis and results of the “Characterizing Participant Experience in Longitudinal Research: How and Why Engagement Matters in the ECHO Program” research. Positive experiences in research are multidimensional. Respectful\, family-centered interpersonal relationships with staff\, as well as practical aspects such as efficient scheduling\, manageable survey lengths\, and clear communication\, are equally crucial for maintaining engagement and satisfaction. Finally\, Dr. Faro will reflect on how the current participant engagement work in ECHO Cycle 2 reflects and attends to these principles. \n \nElissa Z Faro\, PhD \nElissa Z Faro\, PhD\nManager\, Associate Member \nCenter for Discovery & Innovation @ Hackensack Meridian Health\nAssociate Professor | Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine \nBiography: \nDr. Elissa Zoe Faro is a medical anthropologist and implementation scientist at the Center for Discovery and Innovation\, where her research focuses on improving healthcare delivery and outcomes for underserved populations in the U.S. and globally. She applies ethnographic and mixed‑methods research to understand contextual factors influencing real‑world practice and to bridge the gap between evidence‑based interventions and their implementation in clinical\, public health\, and community settings. Her work spans diverse areas\, including pediatric emergency care\, maternal and child health\, sexual and reproductive health implementation\, and health equity. In addition to her Participant Engagement and Evaluation work on ECHO\, Dr. Faro currently serves as the contact Principal Investigator for an NIMH‑funded R01 three-variable hybrid implementation-effectiveness-context trial and as a Senior Implementation Scientist for the NIH IMPROVE initiative\, both focused on improving maternal health outcomes. She has held academic appointments at institutions including the University of Iowa\, Albert Einstein College of Medicine\, Dartmouth College\, and Brown University. \nJoin the meeting now \n 
URL:https://echochildren.org/event/elissa-z-faro-phd-participant-experience-in-longitudinal-research/
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