ECHO

Dr. Petrick: Untargeted Analysis of Microsamplers: The Utility of Dried Capillary Blood Spots for Exposome Research
2024-02-14 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Untargeted Analysis of Microsamplers: The Utility of Dried Capillary Blood Spots for Exposome Research
Key Takeaways:

Researchers use blood samples to measure the levels of various chemicals and metabolites related to environmental exposures and track those exposures over time. However, it can be logistically and technically challenging to continuously collect venous blood samples over critical developmental time periods, such as early childhood.
Dried blood microsamplers (DBMs) can be collected easily at home or in the clinic using a finger prick, providing researchers with new opportunities for direct and continuous monitoring of environmental exposures in young children and other vulnerable populations.
A technique called untargeted liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) can be used to accurately measure a broad range of chemicals and metabolites in dried blood microsamplers.
A few recent pilot programs are demonstrating how DBMs can be used to capture and track environmental exposures in children and other vulnerable populations.

Speaker:

Dr. Lauren Petrick
Associate Professor at Icahn School of Medicine
Director of the Center of Metabolomics and Molecular Phenotyping at Sheba Medical Center

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Lauren Petrick is an Associate Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY and the Director of the Center for Metabolomics and Molecular Phenotyping at the Sheba Medical Center, Israel. She is an analytical chemist and exposure biologist, who did her postdoctoral training at UC Berkeley. Dr. Petrick leads the Laboratory of Precision Metabolomics and Exposomics (PRIME) where her research group develops untargeted chemical assays using high resolution mass spectrometry and applies them to discover biomarkers across disease contexts. She is the Principal Investigator (PI) of several NIH grants focused on discovery of early-life causal risk factors of autism and testicular cancer.

Dr. Petrick’s Slides (Duke-affiliated access only)

Dr. Elena Colicino: Cross-Cohort Mixture Analysis: A Data Integration Approach with Applications on Child Health Outcomes
2024-03-13 13:00 - 14:00
Cross-Cohort Mixture Analysis: A Data Integration Approach with Applications on Child Health Outcomes
Key Takeaways:

Integrating data across multiple studies can enhance the statistical power of analyses and help researchers better understand the association between a mixture of chemical exposures and health outcomes.
It can be challenging to combine data from multiple studies, especially when there are variations in data collection practices.
The Bayesian Weighted Quantile Sum statistical approach allows researchers to aggregate data from multiple ECHO Cohort study sites to calculate an overall mixture index that identifies the most harmful exposure(s) across sites.
This statistical approach also provides researchers with site-specific associations between chemical mixtures and health outcomes.

Speaker:

Dr. Elena Colicino, PhD, MSc
Associate Professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Speaker Bio:
Elena is an Associate Professor at the Icahn School Medicine at Mount Sinai. She develops and applies novel statistical methods and machine learning approaches to environmental health data in order to assess the effect of multiple toxic chemicals on human health throughout life-course. Her research focuses on cardiometabolic and immunological impacts of multiple exposures, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable subgroups. In her spare time, she promotes gender diversity amongst the R-software community by promoting and participating in R-ladies events and meet-ups.
Link to Dr. Colicino Slides (Duke-affiliated access only)

Penn-CHOP ECHO: Applying causal inference methods to address pressing questions in environmental children’s health
2024-04-10 13:00 - 14:00
Penn-CHOP ECHO: Applying causal inference methods to address pressing questions in environmental children’s health
Key Takeaways:

Exposures during early life can set the stage for lifelong health outcomes and well-being.
A variety of environmental factors—including macro-physical environmental factors (e.g., greenspace, pollution, water quality), macro-social environmental factors (e.g., discrimination, income, education), and micro-environmental factors (e.g., diet, physical activity, sleep)—can interact to influence maternal and child health outcomes.
Causal inference methodologies can empower researchers to tackle solution-oriented questions about the influence of both macro- and micro-environmental factors on health outcomes.
Causal inference methodologies have the potential to help ECHO researchers uncover actionable insights, guiding interventions that can improve maternal and child health outcomes.

Dr. Sunni Mumford, PhD
Professor of Epidemiology and Ob/Gyn Deputy Director of the Division of Epidemiology
Co-Director of the Women’s Health Clinical Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania

Speaker Bio:

Sunni Mumford, PhD is a Professor of Epidemiology and Ob/Gyn, Deputy Director of the Division of Epidemiology, and Co-Director of the Women’s Health Clinical Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania. She received a BS in Statistics from the University of Utah, a SM in Biostatistics from Harvard University, and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Link to Presentation Slides (Duke-affiliated access only)

Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha: Unveiling Maternal Health Disparities: Addressing the Impact of Racism
2024-05-08 13:00 - 14:00
Unveiling Maternal Health Disparities: Addressing the Impact of Racism
Key Takeaways*:
Dr. Amutah-Onukagha noted that:

Historically, women of color have disproportionately experienced reproductive injustices exacerbated by medical bias, unequal distribution of resources, and a lack of consistent, timely prenatal care and obstetrics.
There are still many challenges and inequities occurring today, including under-resourcing and underfunding of hospitals and clinics in underserved communities, discrimination based on insurance status, systemic racism that influences health and public policy, and the use of race as a proxy for genetic or biological differences that can result in inaccurate diagnoses and inappropriate treatment.
To address healthcare inequities, it’s important to consider all social determinants that influence health and well-being, including economic stability, neighborhood and physical environment, education, food access, community safety and support, and healthcare systems.
A variety of methods could be employed to advance racial equity and enact respectful maternity care, including recognizing how individual, social, and structural factors affect reproductive health outcomes; ensuring access to reproductive health resources and culturally responsive services to support decision-making; and using an intersectional and social-determinants-of-health lens to address reproductive health barriers perpetuated by systemic racism.

*The content presented in this webinar is the responsibility of the speaker and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health

Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, Ph.D., M.P.H.​
Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is the Founder and Director of the Center of Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice (CBMHRJ), and of the Maternal Outcomes of Translational Health Equity Research (MOTHER) Lab. A well-published author, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha’s research has been presented in over 80 manuscripts, 8 book chapters, a best-selling book on Amazon, and a textbook on culturally responsive evaluation. Currently, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is the Principal Investigator of two multi-year studies on maternal mortality and morbidity, an R01 funded by National Institutes of Health and an interdisciplinary grant on maternal health equity funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Link to Slides (Duke-affiliated access only)

Fish Consumption during Pregnancy and Impacts on Child Health
2024-06-12 13:00 - 14:00
Fish Consumption during Pregnancy and Impacts on Child Health
Kristen Lyall, ScD (A.J. Drexel Autism Institute); Emily Oken, MD, MPH (Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute); Margaret Karagas, PhD (Geisel School of Medicine and Dartmouth College)
Key Takeaways*:
Dr. Oken noted that:

Fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential nutrients for optimal fetal brain and eye development.
The ECHO Cohort’s large, representative population of participants allows researchers to investigate fish consumption and omega-3 supplement intake among pregnant women across the US.
ECHO Cohort researchers found that a quarter of participants reported no fish intake during pregnancy. Even fewer participants reported taking omega-3 supplements.

Dr. Karagas noted that:

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recently released a report on the role of (maternal and child) seafood consumption in child growth and development.
Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), researchers found that children ages 1–2 years ate fewer than two seafood meals per month on average, and only 6% of children ages 2–19 years reported eating two or more seafood meals per week.
ECHO’s ongoing follow-up, focus on broad range of health outcomes, and diversity of participants enable it to address a variety of research gaps surrounding the role of fish consumption in child health outcomes.

Dr. Lyall noted that:

There is an opportunity for ECHO Cohort researchers to significantly contribute to the literature by addressing the relationship between fish intake and supplement use during pregnancy and childhood autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis and autism-related traits in a much larger sample size.
Higher fish intake, but not supplement use, was associated with lower risk of ASD diagnosis and, to a lesser extent, a lower risk of autism-related traits.

*The content presented in this webinar is the responsibility of the speakers and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Speakers:
Kristen Lyall, SCD
Dr. Lyall is an Associate Professor in the Modifiable Risk Factors Program of the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute.
Emily Oken, MD, MPH
Dr. Oken is Professor and Chair of the Department of Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and President of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute.
Margaret Karagas, PhD
Professor Karagas is the inaugural chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Geisel School of Medicine and director of the Centers for Molecular Epidemiology and Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research at Dartmouth College.

Link to slides (Duke-affiliated access only)

Dr. Jacqueline Chan: Emerging Trends and Treatments in Pediatric Obesity
2024-07-10 13:00 - 14:00
Emerging Trends and Treatments in Pediatric Obesity
Key Takeaways*:
Dr. Chan noted that:

In recent years, there has been a concerning increase in rates of pediatric obesity and obesity-related complications, such as type 2 diabetes.
Children with obesity are four times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and studies have shown that type 2 diabetes during childhood is more aggressive and more resistant to treatment than the adult disease.
In January 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new guidance around pediatric obesity that emphasizes the importance of early treatment and intervention.
Evidence has shown that behavior changes, including improving diet and increasing exercise, are not enough on their own to treat pediatric obesity and prevent obesity-related complications. As such, the AAP recommends clinicians not delay appropriate treatment for children with obesity, including medications or surgical interventions, as indicated, in combination with lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.

*The content presented in this webinar is the responsibility of the speakers and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Jacqueline Chan
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah and is in Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at Primary Children´s Medical Center

Speaker Bio’s:
Dr. Jacqueline Chan completed her Pediatric residency at Sinai Children´s Hospital, and her Pediatric endocrinology Fellowship at University OF Illinois Chicago/ Rush University.
She is certified in Pediatrics, Pediatric Endocrinology and Obesity Medicine. She was an assistant professor of pediatrics faculty at the Children’s hospital of Georgia for about 5 years. She has provided multiple education lecture series and podcast about various endocrine and metabolic issues. In addition, she has published multiple peer reviewed articles and is an active member of the Obesity Medicine Association Pediatric Committee.
She is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah and is in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at Primary Children´s Medical Center. She will lead a multidisciplinary team for children with obesity. Her interest is on comorbidities associated with pediatric obesity mainly Type 2 diabetes and lipid disorders, as well as Hypothalamic obesity.
Zoom Meeting: https://duke.zoom.us/j/93167123308?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 931 6712 3308
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Caitlin G. Howe, PhD: Epigenetic Regulators in Human Milk: Opportunities in ECHO with a Focus on miRNAs
2024-08-14 13:00 - 14:00
Epigenetic Regulators in Human Milk: Opportunities in ECHO with a Focus on miRNAs
Key Takeaways:*

MiRNAs, small molecules known to regulate the expression of certain genes, represent a major class of epigenetic regulators that are abundant in human milk.
There is growing evidence that miRNAs in maternal milk are sensitive to modifiable exposures such as environmental toxins, psychological stress, and diet. However, little is known about how these miRNAs may influence child health or the factors that influence the presence of miRNAs.
Based on analysis of ECHO Cohort data through the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study, researchers found that higher levels of one specific miRNA in maternal milk consumed by infants were related to a smaller body mass index (BMI) z-score for the child at age 2 years.
A pilot study was designed to understand the potential impact of arsenic and other metals as environmental exposures to miRNA in human milk. The study found that exposure to arsenic around the time of conception and during pregnancy was related to fewer miRNAs.
There are opportunities for ECHO researchers to analyze environmental and social stressors that may alter the composition of miRNAs in human milk. There are also gaps in knowledge about their relationship with infant health outcomes, sensitivity to stressors and health-protective behaviors, as well as the impact of pumping, reheating, or the pasteurization of human milk.

*The content presented in this webinar is the responsibility of the speaker and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Caitlin G. Howe, PhD
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth

Speaker Bio’s:
Dr. Howe is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College. She received her PhD in Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University and completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Southern California. Dr. Howe is a Co-Investigator for Dartmouth’s ECHO site. Her research investigates metal impacts on maternal and child health and the epigenome, with a focus on extracellular microRNAs.

Maria Gloria Dominguez Bello: The Early Life Microbiome and Disrupting Exposures
2024-09-11 13:00 - 14:00
The Early Life Microbiome and Disrupting Exposures
Key Takeaways*:
Dr. Dominguez-Bello noted that:

During a vaginal birth, babies are exposed to dense bacterial communities, and throughout early childhood, they continue to be exposed to natural non-self microbes.
In modern society, humans interfere with these natural microbe exposures. For example, many women are given antibiotics during pregnancy, and many babies are born via cesarian section (c-section).
A pilot study has shown that vaginal seeding—which involves transferring vaginal fluids to a newborn’s skin, mouth, or nose—after a c-section may improve microbiome trajectories.
The health of future generations will rely on a deep understanding of microbial biology and restoration.
ECHO Cohort data and observational studies are a great opportunity to test hypotheses and generate more opportunities for research.

*The content presented in this webinar is the responsibility of the speaker and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Maria Gloria Dominguez Bello
Distinguished Professor and
Henry Rutgers Professor of Microbiome and Health, Rutgers University

Download the slide presentation

Alison Paquette, PhD: Multi-Omic Data Illuminates the Placenta's Role as a Mediator Between Prenatal EDC Exposures and Preterm Birth
2024-10-09 13:00 - 14:00
Multi-Omic Data Illuminates the Placenta’s Role as a Mediator Between Prenatal EDC Exposures and Preterm Birth
Key Takeaways: Preterm birth is one of the leading causes of infant morbidity and is associated with increased birth defects and impaired fetal development. Prenatal exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) has is positively associated with spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) in epidemiological studies, and have been shown to alter placental growth and proliferation in vitro. We have used placental transcriptomic data (microRNA and mRNA) to reveal shared molecular mechanisms. Both prenatal EDC exposure and spontaneous preterm birth are associated with increased expression of genes involved in steroid biosynthesis, and decreased genes involved in placental growth and development, including notch signaling and TGF beta signaling.
Alison Paquette, PhD
Assistant Professor
Center for Developmental Biology
Seattle Children’s Research Institute
Speaker Biography:
Dr. Paquette received her PhD from Dartmouth College under the mentorship of Dr. Carmen Marsit , then joined the Institute for Systems Biology for her post-doctoral fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Nathan Price. She joined the faculty at Seattle Childrens Research Institute in 2020 and is a member of the Center of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine. She is an Assistant Professor at UW Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics and has an Adjunct appointment in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences. She has worked with the ECHO PATHWAYS and PATHWAYS GAPPS cohorts within ECHO through collaborations with cohort lead Dr. Sheela Sathyanaryana.
Download the slide presentation

Sarah Comstock, PhD: Microbiomes of Pregnancy and Infancy: Implications for Child Health Outcomes
2024-11-13 13:00 - 14:00
Microbiomes of Pregnancy and Infancy: Implications for Child Health Outcomes
Key Takeaways:
ECHO cohort sites have collected longitudinal microbiome samples and data spanning pregnancy through adolescence from a geographically, socioeconomically, and ethnically diverse US sample. The power of the ECHO cohort lies in its assessment of exposures in real time with the tracking of health outcomes as they occur throughout the life course. With specimen and data collection continuing in Cycle 2, ECHO has an incredible opportunity to advance our understanding of the impact of host associated microbiomes on child health outcomes. This talk will present data from ECHO-wide analyses of extant microbiome data as well as discuss the potential of ECHO microbiome data and samples to advance the fields of exposure science, child health, and human development.

Sarah Comstock, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
Michigan State University
Speaker Biography:
Sarah Comstock is an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Michigan State University. She earned a BS in Biochemistry from the University of Chicago and her PhD in Nutritional Biology from the University of California, Davis, where she studied the impact of food components on peanut and tree nut allergenicity. During her post doc at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Comstock studied the impact of human milk components on gastrointestinal and immune system development using a piglet model. The overarching goal of her current research program is to determine which exposures build host-associated microbiomes that ensure appropriate child development. Dr. Comstock co-leads the microbiome and human milk ECHO interest groups. Today she will present data from ECHO-wide analyses of extant microbiome data as well as discuss the potential of ECHO microbiome data and samples to advance the fields of exposure science, child health, and human development.
Download the slide presentation

Isar P. Godreau Santiago, PhD and Mariluz Franco-Ortiz, PhD: Applications of Skin Color Scales to the Study of Racial Inequality
2024-12-11 13:00 - 14:00
Applications of Skin Color Scales to the Study of Racial Inequality
Key Takeaways: In this brief presentation we discuss the benefits and challenges of utilizing skin color scales to study racial inequality. We specifically consider the contributions of studies that have applied this methodology to study racial inequalities among Latinxs in the US and in Puerto Rico with a focus on health outcomes. Definitions of key concepts such as “race” , “racism” and “colorism” will be provided before considering their health impacts. Opportunities for addressing methodological challenges and information gaps associated with the use of skin color scales in surveys will also be discussed.

Isar P. Godreau Santiago, PhD
Investigator at the Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies
University of Puerto Rico- Cayey
Speaker Biography:
Isar P. Godreau Santiago obtained her PhD in cultural anthropologist the University of California in 1999 after graduating from the University of Puerto Rico – Río Piedras. She works at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey where she has directed various institution-wide level research initiatives and her own research projects on race and anti-black racism in Puerto Rico since 2003. She has published on hair, racial terminology, the folklorization of blackness, census racial categories and the combined effects of racism and colonialism in Puerto Rican schools, and socail studies textbooks. She is the main author of Arrancando mitos de raíz: guía para la enseñanza antirracista de la herencia africana en Puerto Rico (2013) and Scripts of Blackness: Race, Cultural Nationalism and US Colonialism in Puerto Rico (2015, winner of the Frank Bonilla best book award).

Mariluz Franco-Ortiz, PhD
Investigator at the Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies
University of Puerto Rico- Cayey
Speaker Biography:
Dr. Mariluz Franco-Ortiz is currently Co-PI of the Visualizing Afro-dignity Project and Researcher of the Mellon Program titled: Invigorating Scholarly Communities at the Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Puerto Rico, Cayey. Dr. Franco-Ortiz completed a Ph.D. in Social-Community Psychology at UPR Río Piedras and has 25+ years of experience implementing best training practices in student and faculty development programs in projects related to education, psychosocial research, racism, research integrity, and youth violence prevention. She has also led community-based projects promoting gender, racial, and social justice through her enthusiastic commitment with Colectivo ilé, a grassroots organization that fosters leadership with women through anti-racist education.
Download the slide presentation

Courtney K. Blackwell, PhD, EdM and Richard Gershon, PhD: An Introduction to the NIH Baby Toolbox
2025-01-08 13:00 - 14:00
An Introduction to the NIH Baby Toolbox
Key Takeaways: This presentation provides an overview of the NIH Infant and Toddler Toolbox, or “Baby Toolbox,” a new neuropsychological, cognitive, motor, and social assessment battery for ages 1-42 months. Descriptions and video examples of the new Baby Toolbox direct and observational tasks will be shown, including novel gaze-tracking technology that enables assessment of the youngest infants. Information on norming and validation activities will be described. The presentation will also review Baby Toolbox administration in ECHO, including how the Baby Toolbox fits into the broader suite of NIH Toolbox instruments for lifespan coherent assessment.

Courtney K. Blackwell, PhD, EdM
Associate Professor
Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine
Speaker Biography:
Courtney K. Blackwell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Blackwell has expertise in the development, validation, and implementation of developmentally sensitive, lifespan coherent person-reported outcomes (PROs) and performance-based assessments.

Richard Gershon, PhD
Professor and Division Chief of Outcome and Measurement Science
Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine
Speaker Biography:
Richard Gershon, PhD, is Professor and Division Chief of Outcome and Measurement Science in the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. His career has focused on developing modern assessment tools and delivering assessment results to clinicians.
Download the slide presentation

Nathalie Maitre, MD, PhD: Stakeholder Engagement in Pediatric Disability Research: Why and How to do it
2025-02-12 13:00 - 14:00
Stakeholder Engagement in Pediatric Disability Research: Why and How to do it
Key Takeaways: To study child health, researchers must also study child disability. Research to improve child outcomes necessarily considers those with disabilities early in their developmental trajectories, to identify modifiable factors and drive interventions that promote health throughout the lifespan. However, this can be challenging to implement. In this presentation, we demonstrate how quantitative and qualitative research can inform the design, outcomes, recruitment, and retention of children with disabilities and their families, with a special focus on often-overlooked physical disabilities. The example of the ECHO 301 project will be highlighted.

Nathalie Maitre, MD, PhD
Director of Early Development & Cerebral Palsy Research,
Emory University School of Medicine
Speaker Biography:
Nathalie Maitre, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatrician and Neonatologist at Children’s, and Director of Early Development and Cerebral Palsy Research. Dr. Maitre’s research spans from neuroscience to clinical trials to implementation. Examples range from studying the brain of a single child to global health and transforming healthcare systems throughout the world. Her NIH-funded neuroscience research looks at the mechanisms of how the brain recovers after injury and what interventions she can design: by leveraging and developing new technologies and by involving parents in interventions. These approaches all leverage the neuroplasticity of the baby brain to help infants recover function and have more healthy and happy developmental trajectories into childhood. It’s important for Dr. Maitre’s research to have families as stakeholders to design studies, choose outcomes, and to voice what matters to them when participating in interventions.
Download the slide presentation

Linda Kahn, MD, PhD: Opportunities and challenges for subfecundity research in ECHO
2025-04-09 13:00 - 14:00
Opportunities and challenges for subfecundity research in ECHO
Key Takeaways: Since the advent of assisted reproduction, there have been questions about potential impacts on child health, with neurodevelopment being a particular focus of concern. One of the biggest challenges for research in this field has been confounding by indication, i.e., the difficulty of disaggregating the effect of the treatment itself from the underlying subfecundity that warranted it. In ECHO, we now have a suite of harmonized variables available that may help us to do just that. In this talk, Dr. Kahn will introduce these variables and describe an analysis in progress that is examining associations between subfecundity and child neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Linda, Kahn, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Population Health
NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Speaker Biography:
Dr. Kahn received her undergraduate degree from Yale and master’s in English from Columbia before embarking on a career as a book editor focusing on health and women’s studies. After 20 years, she returned to Columbia for her MPH in Population and Family Health and PhD in Epidemiology. She joined the Division of Environmental Pediatrics at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine as a postdoc in 2017 and in 2021 was appointed Assistant Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Population Health. Her research examines intersection between environmental chemical exposure and reproductive health and development.
Download the slides

Dr. Christine Ladd-Acosta, PhD: What is DNA methylation and how can it help us address ECHO scientific priorities and improve child health?
2025-05-14 13:00 - 14:00
What is DNA methylation and how can it help us address ECHO scientific priorities and improve child health?
Key Takeaways:  DNA methylation is a molecular modification of DNA that is instrumental in regulating several essential cellular functions. For example, it provides a mechanism for cellular differentiation during fetal development, it controls gene expression, and it silences one X-chromosome in females, among other functions. Alterations in DNA methylation have been associated with a wide range of health outcomes in adults and children and have also been associated with environmental exposures. Thus, it may provide a biologic mechanism for some environmental effects on child health. In addition to providing potential biologic/mechanistic insights, there is evidence that it could serve as a useful biomarker of exposures and/or health outcomes. This presentation will provide a brief introduction to DNA methylation, a framework for how it can be examined in ECHO to address scientific priorities, highlight a few exemplar findings in ECHO to date, and summarize opportunities and challenges for future studies.

Dr. Christine Ladd-Acosta, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Speaker Biography:
Dr. Ladd-Acosta is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with a joint appointment in mental health. Her research focuses on developing and applying epigenomic and genomic epidemiology approaches to improve health, with a particular concentration on child and neurodevelopmental health outcomes. Her findings have been recognized with a “best original article” award by Environmental Research and results reported in multiple publications have been declared as top 20 advances in autism research by the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC).
Download the slides

Diana Pacyga, M.S., PhD: Does adherence to U.S. dietary guidelines during pregnancy reduce exposure to over 50 contemporary and understudied chemicals?
2025-06-11 13:00 - 14:00
Does adherence to U.S. dietary guidelines during pregnancy reduce exposure to over 50 contemporary and understudied chemicals?
Key Takeaways: Diet is an important source of exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which are linked to adverse maternal and child health outcomes. Aside from consuming fresh foods or restricting processed/packaged food intake, there are no comprehensive recommendations for reducing dietary EDC exposures during pregnancy. Current U.S. dietary guidelines for pregnancy, which promote healthy diets to support fetal development, do not factor in the presence of EDCs in foods. In this ECHO-wide study, we aimed to evaluate whether better adherence to dietary guidelines reduces exposure to over 50 contemporary and understudied EDCs, including phthalates and their replacements, pesticides, phenols, organophosphate esters, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Diana Pacyga, M.S., PhD
T32 Postdoctoral Trainee, Department of Epidemiology
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Speaker Biography:
Diana Pacyga is a T32 Postdoctoral Trainee in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her current research focuses on two areas: investigating diet as a source of chemical exposure and evaluating the neurodevelopmental consequences of prenatal and early life chemical exposures.
She previously earned a dual Ph.D. in Human Nutrition and Environmental Toxicology from Michigan State University, where she was part of a multidisciplinary program spanning the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and the Environmental and Integrative Toxicological Sciences program.
Diana is trained in environmental, molecular, nutritional, and perinatal epidemiology, and has experience studying how chemical and non-chemical stressors during critical life stages—like pregnancy, infancy, and midlife—can affect maternal and child health.
Download the slides

Dr. Maxwell Mansolf - Predictors of Child Eating and Parent Feeding in the ECHO Cohort
2025-08-13 13:00 - 14:00
Predictors of Child Eating and Parent Feeding in the ECHO Cohort
Key Takeaways: Dr. Mansolf will present findings from a study using data from over 3,500 children in the ECHO cohort to examine the complex relationships between child eating behaviors and parental feeding practices. Using machine learning approaches such as random forests and regression trees, the research identified key predictors of these behaviors, revealing both independent and interdependent patterns. Results showed that caregiver and child age were the strongest predictors, followed by caregiver stress, child BMI, and social support. These findings highlight potential intervention opportunities and provide new insights into the multifaceted nature of family food dynamics and their implications for child nutritional health.

Maxwell Mansolf, PhD
Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences
Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine
Co-PI, ECHO Measurement Core
Speaker Biography:
Dr. Maxwell Mansolf is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. His research focuses on psychometric methods and child health outcomes, with expertise in classical test theory, item response theory, and computerized adaptive testing. Dr. Mansolf serves as a data scientist on large-scale longitudinal studies, including the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort, where he manages and analyzes harmonized data from 69 cohorts to advance understanding of child health and development. His recent work includes developing assessment tools such as the NIH Baby Toolbox neurodevelopmental assessment system and contributing to psychometric research published in venues including Multivariate Behavioral Research and the Handbook of Structural Equation Modeling. He is proficient in R statistical programming and recently published the AlignLV package to CRAN. Dr. Mansolf is also author of an upcoming Cambridge University Press textbook on MATLAB programming for non-technical audiences.
Download the slide presentation

Chang Liu, Ph.D: Early Childhood BMI Trajectories and Weight Status Lability: Leveraging ECHO's Longitudinal Data to Identify Critical Developmental Patterns
2025-09-10 13:00 - 14:00
Early Childhood BMI Trajectories and Weight Status Lability: Leveraging ECHO’s Longitudinal Data to Identify Critical Developmental Patterns
Key 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.

Distinct 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.
BMI Z-score Lability: This new risk indicator highlights factors like breastfeeding and neighborhood resources that influence weight status fluctuations.
Developmental outcomes: The third study explored how early BMI z-score lability patterns predict developmental outcomes in middle childhood.

These findings provide new insights into early childhood development and potential intervention opportunities.

Chang Liu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology
Washington State University
Co-I of ECHO Cohorts 12101/12102/12103
Speaker Biography:
Dr. 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.
Download the slide presentation

Christine Loftus, MS, MPH, Ph.D: Where there’s smoke… there’s action? What ECHO can do to protect children from wildfire smoke
2025-10-08 13:00 - 14:00
Where there’s smoke… there’s action? What ECHO can do to protect children from wildfire smoke
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE PRESENTATION VIA TEAMS
Key Takeaways:
Wildfire 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.

Christine Loftus, MS, MPH, Ph.D
Clinical Associate Professor
Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
University of Washington
Project Director within Cohort 306
Award PI: ECHO Opportunities and Innovation Fund (OIF)
Co-chair: ECHO Air Pollution and Wildfire Smoke Interest Group
Speaker Biography:
Dr. 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).
Keywords: Wildfires, smoke, interventions, disaster response
Download the slide presentation

Ricardo Bertolla, PhD: Paternal effects on child health and development: where are we now, where do we need to be?
2025-11-12 13:00 - 14:00
Paternal effects on child health and development: where are we now, where do we need to be?
Key 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.

Ricardo Bertolla, PhD
Associate Professor
C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Wayne State University, School of Medicine
Speaker 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.
Download the slide presentation

Allan C. Just, PhD: Air pollution and temperature as spatial factors impacting child health
2025-12-10 13:00 - 14:00
Air pollution and temperature as spatial factors impacting child health
Key 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.

Allan C. Just, PhD
Nazareth-Ferguson Family University Associate Professor
of Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology and
Institute at Brown for Environment and Society
Speaker 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.
Download the slide presentation

Jean Kerver, PhD, MSc, RD: Incorporating Early Life Micronutrient Status in ECHO studies of Neurodevelopment
2026-01-14 13:00 - 14:00
Incorporating Early Life Micronutrient Status in ECHO studies of Neurodevelopment
Key Takeaways:
It 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.

Jean Kerver, PhD, MSc, RD
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
College of Human Medicine, Traverse City Campus
Michigan State University
Contact Principal Investigator of ECHO Award 129
Speaker Biography:
Jean 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.
Download the slide presentation

Courtney K Blackwell, PhD, MEd: The kids are(n’t) alright: The role of social media in youth mental health
2026-02-11 13:00 - 14:00
The kids are(n’t) alright: The role of social media in youth mental health
Key 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.

Courtney K Blackwell, PhD, MEd
she/her/hers
Associate Professor
Department of Medical Social Sciences (Outcome and Measurement Science)
Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
MPI, ECHO Measurement Core
Biography:
Courtney 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.
Download the slide presentation

Alicia Peterson, PhD: Early-Life PFAS Exposure and Child Health: Evidence from the NIH ECHO Cohort
2026-03-11 13:00 - 14:00
Early Life PFAS Exposure and Child Health: Evidence from the NIH ECHO Cohort
Key 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.

Alicia Peterson, PhD
Staff Scientist
Kaiser Permanente Northern California
Division of Research
Women’s and Children’s Health Section

Biography:
Alicia 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.
Dr. 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.
Download the slide presentation

Elissa Z Faro, PhD: Participant Experience in Longitudinal Research
2026-04-08 13:00 - 14:00
Participant Experience in Longitudinal Research
Key Takeaways:
During 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.

Elissa Z Faro, PhD
Elissa Z Faro, PhD
Manager, Associate Member
Center for Discovery & Innovation @ Hackensack Meridian Health
Associate Professor | Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
Biography:
Dr. 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.
Join the meeting now
