ECHO

Thomas G. O'Connor: Prenatal Origins of Child Neurodevelopmental Outcomes: From Exposures to Mechanisms
2023-04-12 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Thomas G. O’Connor: Prenatal Origins of Child Neurodevelopmental Outcomes: From Exposures to Mechanisms
Key Takeaways:

Many common exposures during pregnancy have been linked with neurodevelopmental outcomes in children.
It’s important to expand the evaluation of prenatal exposures beyond traditional chemical exposures (e.g., lead, tobacco) to include the effects of stress, mood disorders, and illness on childhood cognitive development.
Broadening this focus allows researchers to expand their understanding of what defines a “healthy pregnancy” and identify the biological mechanisms underpinning the complex relationship between prenatal exposures and childhood cognitive development.
Understanding these mechanisms will help researchers and clinicians develop assessments and screening tools that facilitate early interventions or treatments.

Speaker:
Thomas G. O’Connor, PhD
Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Neuroscience, and Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of Rochester Medical Center, NY

Speaker Bio:
Dr. O’Connor is the Wynne Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Neuroscience, and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Rochester. He is a clinical psychologist with 20 years of clinical research experience studying the mechanisms of pre- and post-natal influences on child behavioral and physical health outcomes.
Date: Wednesday, April 12th, 1 to 2pm ET
Slides

Alison E. Hipwell: What Can the Preconception Period Tell Us About Maternal and Child Health?
2023-05-10 13:00 - 14:00
Alison E. Hipwell: What Can the Preconception Period Tell Us About Maternal and Child Health?
Key Takeaways:

Previous research shows that maternal stress and distress during pregnancy can be linked to infant and child health outcomes, but researchers need more specific information about this relationship to design effective mental health screening and intervention strategies.
Studies that look at stress exposures over the course of the extended preconception period (the period before a person becomes pregnant, extending back to their own childhood) have shown that the type, timing, and duration of stress a mother experiences may be related to their child’s ultimate health and well-being.
Assessing mental health during childhood and adolescence could help identify individuals who are at high risk for mood disorders (e.g., depression) later during pregnancy, enabling mental health interventions before pregnancy that may prevent or reduce negative health outcomes for both mother and child.
Understanding the pathways through which exposures during the extended preconception period affect future pregnancy and childhood health is essential to help researchers and clinicians design appropriate, well-timed interventions that can disrupt cross-generational health disparities.

Speaker:
Alison E. Hipwell, PhD, ClinPsyD
Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology
University of Pittsburgh, PA

Speaker Bio:
Dr Alison Hipwell is a Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. She obtained a PhD in developmental psychopathology from the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London and a clinical psychology doctorate from the University of East Anglia in the UK. Her program of research uses life course models to understand reproductive mental health and intergenerational models of stress. As part of the investigative team of the longitudinal Pittsburgh Girls Study for the past 22 years, Dr. Hipwell has been testing hypotheses focused on risk and protective pathways and stress regulation mechanisms for peripartum health, modifiable buffers of negative effects and prospective associations with social, emotional and behavioral outcomes in infants and children.
Date: Wednesday, May 10th, 1 to 2pm ET

Aris & Smith: Neighborhood Opportunities and Disparities in Child Health Outcomes & Lung Function Measured by Oscillometry in the Healthy Start and PETALS Cohorts
2023-06-14 13:00 - 14:00
Aris: Neighborhood Opportunities and Disparities in Child health Outcomes
Smith: Lung Function Measured by Oscillometry in the Healthy Start and PETALS Cohorts
Key Takeaways:
Izzuddin M. Aris, PhD (Harvard Medical School)
Neighborhood Opportunities and Disparities in Child Health Outcomes

Many studies that examine disparities in child health outcomes focus on individual socioeconomic factors that contribute to neighborhood disadvantage (e.g., high poverty rates), but these analyses may not adequately capture the totality of early-life social experiences.
ECHO research found that children who lived in neighborhoods with higher levels of opportunity during early life were at less risk for developing obesity and had lower asthma incidence, highlighting the importance of community-level interventions that can address the structures that consistently compromise the health of marginalized communities and promote overall health equity.

Kate Hamlington Smith, PhD (Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus)
Lung Function Measured by Oscillometry in the Healthy Start and Pregnancy Environment and Lifestyle Study (PETALS) Cohorts

Oscillometry—a technique for measuring lung function and respiratory health—can be easily used with young children in a variety of settings, helping researchers measure and evaluate the role of maternal health in childhood lung function.
By studying early life exposures and measuring lung function in childhood, researchers can identify the exposures that may be modified to protect lung health and decrease the risk of developing respiratory diseases.

Speakers:
Izzuddin M. Aris, PhD
Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute

Speaker Bio: Dr. Aris is an epidemiologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute. He earned his BSc in Biomedical Sciences in 2010, and PhD in Epidemiology in 2015, both from the National University of Singapore.

Kate Hamlington Smith, PhD
Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine
Children’s Hospital Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Speaker Bio: Dr. Hamlington Smith is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Children’s Hospital Colorado, where she studies the progression of asthma and complex respiratory diseases in early childhood. She received her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Tulane University, followed by post-doctoral study in lung physiology at the University of Vermont.
Date: Wednesday, June 14th, 1 to 2pm ET|
Dr. Aris’s Slides
Dr. Smith’s Slides

Liang & Lewis: DNA methylation of myelinating genes measured in peripheral samples predicts brain white matter volume in a healthy pediatric cohort and Effects of prenatal exposure to Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure on maternal and newborn metabolome and fetal growth: the PFAS Exposures And Child Health (PEACH) Study
2023-07-12 13:00 - 14:00
Liang: Effects of prenatal exposure to Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure on maternal and newborn metabolome and fetal growth: the PFAS Exposures And Child Health (PEACH) Study.
Lewis: DNA methylation of myelinating genes measured in peripheral samples predicts brain white matter volume in a healthy pediatric cohort
Key Takeaways:
Donghai Liang, PhD, MPH (Emory University)
Effects of prenatal exposure to Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on maternal and newborn metabolome and fetal growth: the PFAS Exposures and Child Health (PEACH) Study

Exposure to PFAS is very prevalent in the U.S. through everyday products like food packaging, non-stick cookware, and stain-resistant fabrics. Many studies have already demonstrated how PFAS exposure can be linked to poor birth outcomes, such as lower birth weights, but there is little information on why this relationship exists.
ECHO researchers evaluated levels of PFAS in the blood of mothers and newborns, finding that during gestation many newborns were exposed to PFAS which may have disrupted the balance of certain chemical processes in their bodies. In the future, early detection of PFAS in maternal blood samples during pregnancy could help researchers and clinicians identify individuals at risk for preterm birth, which is linked to a variety of negative health outcomes in infancy and childhood.

Candace Lewis, PhD (University of Arizona)
DNA methylation of myelinating genes measured in peripheral samples predicts brain white matter volume in healthy pediatric cohort

Understanding how epigenetic patterns—changes in the ways genes are expressed—in the brain are influenced by environmental factors is important to help researchers better analyze the role of environmental factors on mental health. However, it can be difficult to evaluate these patterns because brain tissue is difficult to collect.
Recent ECHO research indicates that peripheral biosamples, such as blood or saliva, can be used in combination with neuroimaging data to assess how epigenetic patterns and brain structure may be influenced by environmental factors. Future studies could use this technique to evaluate the relationship between environmental factors, epigenetic patterns that shape brain structure and function, and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.

Speakers:

Donghai Liang, PhD
Emory University
Rollins School of Public Health

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Donghai Liang is an Assistant Professor at the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, where he holds a primary appointment in Environmental Health and a secondary appointment in Epidemiology. Dr. Liang is broadly trained in exposure science and molecular epidemiology with strong expertise and publication record of over 65 peer-reviewed articles in exposure assessment and health research, high-throughput data analysis, and omics-based technologies. His research focuses on measuring multi-dimensional exposures and elucidating the molecular mechanisms that account for the complex health responses to environmental mixtures, including ambient and traffic-related air pollution, as well as persistent organic pollutants. More recently, Dr. Liang has shifted the majority of his effort towards incorporating high throughput omics technologies, especially the high-resolution metabolomics and multi-omics integration, into investigations on the molecular mechanisms and disease etiology associated with ubiquitous environmental exposures.

Candace Lewis, PhD
University of Arizona
School of Life Sciences and Dept. Of Psychology

Speaker Bio: Dr. Candace Lewis, MC, PhD is an assistant professor at Arizona State University with a joint position between the Biology and Psychology departments. Dr. Lewis leads The BEAR Lab (Brain, Epigenetics, & Altered states Research) with a focus on how psychological experiences shape neurobiology underlying mental health. Specifically, the lab studies how social experiences can alter epigenetic regulation in mental-health related gene systems, and alternatively, how psychedelic-assisted therapy may reduce symptoms through similar processes.
Date: Wednesday, July 12th, 1 to 2pm ET
Dr. Liang’s Slides
Dr. Lewis’s Slides

Dr. Matthew Gillman: Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) A Nationwide Resource for Child Health Research
2023-08-09 13:00 - 14:00
Dr. Matthew Gillman: Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) A Nationwide Resource for Child Health Research
Speakers:

Matthew W. Gillman, MD, SM
National Institutes of Health
Director, Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program

Key Takeaways:

Founded in 2016, the ECHO Program has brought together over 100,000 participants and hundreds of researchers who have collaborated to conduct research that can inform programs, policies, and practices.
ECHO research findings reflect the collaborative work of the ECHO Cohorts and the ECHO IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN) across five child health areas: pre-, peri- and postnatal health, upper and lower airways, obesity, neurodevelopment, and positive health. ECHO research also reflects cross-cutting themes, including diversity, equity and inclusion; team science; solution-oriented research; and stakeholder engagement.
During this presentation, Dr. Gillman reviewed some key ECHO research results and reflected on the unique strengths of the ECHO Program, including its dual focus on observational and intervention research. On the observational side, the ECHO Cohorts boast a large, diverse, nationwide sample of children and their families. On the intervention side, the ISPCTN features access to state-of-the-art clinical trials in rural or underserved communities.
Moving into the future, ECHO will continue to build on its achievements and lessons learned to conduct research that will enhance the health of children for generations to come.

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Gillman joined the National Institutes of Health in 2016 as the inaugural director of the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. Dr. Gillman came to NIH from Harvard Medical School, where he was a professor of population medicine and director of the Obesity Prevention Program, and Harvard School of Public Health, where he was a professor of nutrition. With background in the fields of internal medicine, pediatrics, and epidemiology, he has led cohort studies and randomized controlled trials and published widely in prevention of chronic disease across the life course. Dr. Gillman won mentoring awards at Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, and has served in several national and international leadership positions, including on the United States Preventive Services Task Force and for the International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, from which he won the David Barker Medal in 2017. His clinical experience includes primary care for children and adults, and preventive cardiology among children.
Date: Wednesday, August 9th, 1 to 2pm ET
Dr. Gillman’s Slides

Drs. Young and Devlin: Opportunities to ACT NOW for Infants with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal
2023-09-13 13:00 - 14:00
Drs. Young and Devlin: Opportunities to ACT NOW for Infants with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
Key Takeaways:

The opioid crisis has increased the number of infants who are exposed to opioids during pregnancy. Opioid-exposed newborns may develop symptoms of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), which includes tremors, excessive crying and irritability, and problems with sleeping and feeding.

The care provided to infants with NOWS varies across hospitals, which is due in part to a lack of evidence to support a standard approach to care. A recent clinical trial provides evidence to support the use of the Eat, Sleep, Console (ESC) care approach, which provides a function-based assessment of withdrawal severity centered around how well an infant can eat, sleep, and be consoled. ESC prioritizes and emphasizes non-pharmacologic care, including increased family presence, holding, swaddling, and rocking in low-stimulus environments, as first-line treatment.

Newborns cared for with ESC were medically ready for discharge approximately 6.7 days earlier on average, and they were 63% less likely to receive medication as part of their treatment when compared to newborns given the usual care.

This research was made possible because the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative brought together two existing networks of many institutions that specialize in pediatric research:

ECHO’s Institutional Development Award (IDeA) States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN)
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Neonatal Research Network

Speakers:

Leslie W. Young, MD
University of Vermont
Larner College of Medicine

Speaker Bio:
Leslie Young, MD is a practicing neonatologist at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital and an associate professor of pediatrics in the Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. Dr. Young’s research is currently focused on optimizing the care provided to infants following in-utero opioid exposure and on improving long-term outcomes for these infants and their families. She is involved in NIH HEAL Initiative®-sponsored research programs including the Advancing Clinical Trials in Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Collaborative, a collaboration between ECHO ISPCTN and the NICHD Neonatal Research Network. Dr. Young is a principal investigator for Improving Pediatric Access to Clinical Trials in Vermont, Vermont’s ISPCTN site, where she works to increase the representation of rural and underserved populations in clinical trials. Dr. Young completed her undergraduate studies in psychology at Creighton University before receiving her medical degree at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont.

Lori Devlin, DO, MHA, MS
University of Louisville School of Medicine

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Lori Devlin is a practicing neonatologist with the Norton Children’s Medical Group and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. Her research is focused on NOWS, and she is currently a lead study investigator for two NIH HEAL Initiative®-supported multicenter randomized controlled trials. She is a Multiple Principal Investigator at the Kentucky ECHO IDeA States Pediatrics Clinical Trial Network site and at the HEAL Evaluation of Limited Pharmacotherapies for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome Consortium.
Date: Wednesday, September 13th, 1 to 2pm ET
Join Zoom Meeting- https://duke.zoom.us/j/91562266720?pwd=[REDACTED]
Drs. Young and Devlin’s Slides

Dr. Claudia Thompson: Identifying and Responding to Climate Change as an Emerging Children’s Health Issue
2023-10-11 13:00 - 14:00
Dr. Claudia Thompson: Identifying and Responding to Climate Change as an Emerging Children’s Health Issue
Key Takeaways:
Dr. Claudia Thompson’s presentation will focus on the following topics:

Overview of the NIH Climate Change and Human Health Initiative
Overview of climate change on children’s health broadly
Examples of climate change impacts on respiratory and neurodevelopment outcomes
Intersection of climate change, social determinants of health contributing to health disparities
Opportunities and resources

Speakers:

Claudia Thompson, Ph.D. (she, her, hers)
Chief, Population Health Branch
Program Director, Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Speaker Bio:
Claudia Thompson, PhD is Chief of the Population Health Branch (PHB) in the Division of Extramural and Training at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois and her PhD in Biochemistry and Nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the Program Director for the Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers and co-director of the Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource. She represents NIEHS on the NIH-wide steering committee for the NIH Climate Change and Health InitiativeClaudia Thompson, PhD is Chief of the Population Health Branch (PHB) in the Division of Extramural and Training at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois and her PhD in Biochemistry and Nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the Program Director for the Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers and co-director of the Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource. She represents NIEHS on the NIH-wide steering committee for the NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative

Presentation Link
https://duke.zoom.us/j/91562266720?pwd=[REDACTED]
Dr. Claudia Thompson’s Slides

Dr. Wei Perng: Understanding the natural history of cardiovascular health across early-life
2023-11-08 13:00 - 14:00
Dr. Wei Perng: Understanding the natural history of cardiovascular health across early-life
Key Takeaways:
This talk describes cohort-specific findings regarding the natural history of cardiovascular health in children and adolescents, presents objectives of a related ECHO-wide analysis, and provides an overview of pursuits for extramural funding to identify targets for primordial prevention of CVD through optimization of early-life cardiovascular health among U.S. youth.
Speakers:

Wei Perng, PhD MPH
Colorado School of Public Health
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Speaker Bio:
Wei Perng, PhD MPH, is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health and Associate Director of Research Training and Education at the Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She is a lifecourse and ‘omics epidemiologist interested in the developmental pathways of excess adiposity and cardiometabolic risk among youth.

Presentation Link (will be inactive until day of the presentation)
https://duke.zoom.us/j/91562266720?pwd=[REDACTED]

Dr. Akhgar Ghassabian: Prenatal Air Pollution Exposure and Risk of Autism: New Insight from ECHO Cohorts
2023-12-13 13:00 - 14:00
Prenatal Air Pollution Exposure and Risk of Autism: New Insight from ECHO Cohorts
Key Takeaways:

In the past decade, air pollution has substantially declined in the US because of policies informed by environmental monitoring and research.
A recent analysis of EPA data shows a reversal of trends, confirming that a national decade-long trend toward better air quality might be reversing.
Concerns are increasing regarding adverse health outcomes of low-level air pollution.
Given the emerging evidence that shows the potential role of environmental chemical exposures in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the need to identify air pollution exposure as a modifiable risk factor of ASD is warranted.

Speaker:

Akhgar Ghassabian, MD PhD
NYU Grossman School of Medicine
NYU Langone’s Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Ghassabian obtained her medical degree from Tehran University of Medical Sciences and completed a master’s and a PhD in epidemiology at Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands. She was the Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) fellow at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Currently, she is Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Dr. Romano: Using Knowledge-Driven AI to Predict and Explain Environmental Health Outcomes in Mothers and Children
2024-01-10 13:00 - 14:00
Using Knowledge-Driven AI to Predict and Explain Environmental Health Outcomes in Mothers and Children
Key Takeaways:
As increasingly rich and complex environmental health data are collected for secondary analysis, new methods are needed to translate these data into clinically actionable knowledge. The recent explosion in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications hold great promise for this task, provided that an appropriate tool set is available to translate knowledge between the data sources and the AI models being used. In this talk, we introduce ComptoxAI – a major new data infrastructure that supports AI research in environmental toxicology – and its applications to discovering mechanisms underlying maternal and child environmental health outcomes. Beyond discussing recent and upcoming projects in the Romano Lab at Penn, we also cover the fundamentals of biomedical AI and provide resources to ECHO researchers who would like to apply AI in their own research.
Speaker:

Joseph D. Romano, PhD, MPhil, MA
Assistant Professor of Informatics, University of Pennsylvania

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Romano’s research focuses on using biomedical data science and artificial intelligence to make critical discoveries about toxicology and environmental health. His lab leads the development of new data infrastructures that integrate diverse biomedical knowledge from public data sources into knowledge graphs (link is external), as well as data-driven analyses on those knowledge graphs that both predict and explain outcomes of toxic exposures. He is a member of the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, and is affiliated with the Penn Institute for Biomedical Informatics (IBI) and the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET).

Dr. Petrick: Untargeted Analysis of Microsamplers: The Utility of Dried Capillary Blood Spots for Exposome Research
2024-02-14 13:00 - 14:00
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
