As we close out the year, I express my deep gratitude to our many ECHO partners who share our commitment to enhancing child health. As we look toward ECHO’s 10th anniversary in 2026, I have been reflecting on how far our research has come and how essential your partnership has been in shaping its impact.
Despite some challenges, this year saw sustained momentum across ECHO’s two components. The ECHO Cohort, now well into its second 7-year cycle as the nation’s largest longitudinal child health study, continues to answer solution-oriented questions about how a broad range of early environmental exposures affect child health and development. The Cohort Consortium now also examines influences on child health that begin even before conception, including exploring the role of fathers during this foundational period. The ECHO Cohort continues to make its data accessible to the wider scientific community through the DASH platform and the ancillary studies program, which we began earlier this year.
The IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network entered a new multiyear phase with several pilot studies underway. I’m pleased that, early in 2026, the Network will begin recruiting participants for a full-scale, FDA-monitored clinical trial evaluating the extent to which phentermine can safely and effectively reduce body mass index (BMI) among rural and underserved adolescents with obesity—a group for whom lifestyle modification alone is often insufficient and accessible pharmacologic options are limited. Phentermine is a potentially safe and accessible option approved by the FDA in 1959 for individuals 16 years old or older.
We were proud to host ECHO’s first annual Translating Science to Action Symposium in September 2025. The event brought together more than 1,000 child health researchers, clinicians, policymakers, advocates, community leaders, and families to bridge the gap between cutting-edge child health science and actionable solutions that can be implemented in real-world settings. Learn more here and watch this space for news about our 2026 Symposium.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership. I wish you and your loved ones a restorative holiday season and a bright start to the year ahead.
Matthew Gillman, MD, SM
Director of the ECHO Program