Fry and O’Shea Secure Major NIH Grant to Propel Research on Child Health Outcomes
October 17, 2023
Dr. Rebecca Fry
Rebecca Fry, PhD, Carol Remmer Angle Distinguished Professor and Interim Chair in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, and T. Michael O’Shea, MD, MPH, C. Richard Morris, MD Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics in the UNC School of Medicine, have been awarded $2.1 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue their participation in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program.
With a mission to investigate the effects of early social and biological exposures on child health outcomes, this grant will enable the expansion and extension of the ECHO Cohort’s critical work, particularly focusing on diverse populations.
The primary objectives of the ELGAN-ECHO project are to evaluate predictors of exposure to environmental stressors — both chemical and non-chemical — during the preconception period, pregnancy and early childhood.
“This grant provides us with a unique opportunity to delve deeper into the intricate web of factors influencing child health outcomes,” says Fry, the Principal Investigator of ELGAN-ECHO.
“We believe our research will not only advance scientific understanding but also inform policies and programs to enhance children’s health.”
The project brings together specialized expertise in environmental epidemiology related to the environmental and genetic factors that can impact neurological development before and after birth.
Dr. Michael O’Shea
“This funding provides an unprecedented opportunity to increase understanding of how the prenatal and postnatal environment shape the life course of individuals born extremely preterm towards the eventual goal of improving the healthy lifespan of this group of people,” says O’Shea, Principal Investigator of ELGAN-ECHO.
The ELGAN-ECHO project underscores the significance of a collaborative and solution-oriented approach, utilizing a study population that is large, diverse and measured for an extended period of time in order to create meaningful change in child health practices, programs and policies.
For more information about the ECHO Program and ELGAN-ECHO, please visit the NIH ECHO Website.
Contact the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@unc.edu.
