NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Symposium

Join the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program for the inaugural ECHO Symposium: Translating Science to Action on Sept. 15, 2025, at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, and online. This free, one-day event will bring together researchers, clinicians, policymakers, advocates, and community leaders to explore how early environmental factors influence child health—and how we can translate science into meaningful action.

Agenda highlights include:

  • Keynote Address by Dr. Susan Kressly, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics
  • Panel contributions from child health experts including Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, Former California Surgeon General, and Dr. Mona Hanna, known for her role in uncovering the Flint Michigan water crisis
  • Three dynamic sessions focused on:
    • Chemical Exposures
    • Social and Neighborhood Factors
    • Community Experiences

Session Chair: Kristie Trousdale, Children's Environmental Health Network

  • Exposure to Phthalates in Pregnancy and Childhood: Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, and Opportunities
    Dr. Leo Trasande, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
  • Safer Alternatives? Investigating Replacement Chemicals and Child Health
    Dr. Jessie Buckley, University of North Carolina


Session 2: Social and Neighborhood Factors

Session Chair: Dr. Nicole Bush, University of California, San Francisco

  • Understanding Childhood Trauma and Toxic Stress to Enhance Child Health
    Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, Former California Surgeon General
  • Associations of Neighborhood Opportunity and Vulnerability with Child Health Outcomes
    Dr. Izzuddin Aris, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School
  • Influences of Media Use on Child Health and Development
    Dr. Jenny Radesky, University of Michigan


Session 3: Community Experiences

Session Chair: Dr. Lee Beers, Children’s National Hospital

  • Behind the Data: A Parent’s Voice in Pediatric Research
    Cassondra Perez, ECHO Parent Participant
  • Indigenous Community Health
    Dr. Johnnye Lewis, University of New Mexico
  • Rural Health Research in the ECHO IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN)
    Dr. Leslie Young, University of Vermont
  • From Flint to Rx Kids: Translating Crisis into a Bold Prescription for Healthier Futures
    Dr. Mona Hanna, Michigan State University

Whether you join us in person or online, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in Q&As, connect with thought leaders, and help advance solutions to improve the health of children for generations to come!

Register now to reserve your spot!

When:  Sep 15, 2025 from 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM (ET)