FROM THE NEST | SUMMER 2025 | 5 Early life exposures to environmental toxicants in air and water, as well as social stressors, can all play a critical role in shaping health outcomes over one’s lifetime. A large group of researchers around the United States, including Lehigh’s Hyunok Choi, have teamed up to understand how these factors contribute to an array of adverse health conditions. The findings from this Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) study analysis will build the scientific evidence for the protection of children’s health. Choi, an associate professor in the College of Health’s Department of Community and Population Health, has recently been awarded funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate the effects of early environmental influences on child health and development. Choi is part of a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia who have joined forces to support the NIH’s ECHO study. Understanding and Reducing Risk The ECHO program began in 2016 and seeks to discover how environmental exposures during preconception, pregnancy and early life affect children’s longterm health. Specifically, the program focuses on five areas of health: pre-, peri- and postnatal health; upper and lower airways; obesity; brain development; and positive health. “Childhood developmental markers are hypothesized to set the stage for your well-being for the rest of your life,” said Choi. “Babies and children who endure high prenatal toxicant exposures could be at an elevated risk, not only for obesity but also other diseases, such as asthma.” According to Choi, the study answers some of the key research questions of the NIH, which is not only to understand and to reduce the risks on the nation’s population in terms of prevalent diseases but also to reduce disparity in segments of the population that bear the greater burden of certain outcomes.—Katherine Jones RESEARCH Choi Joins NIH’s ECHO Study on Environment and Childhood Diseases The College of Health professor is among the researchers in the nationwide Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes program. employment and the purchasing of equipment, supplies and services. Lehigh’s research spending impact totaled $48.1 million and led to 30 inventions, 35 patents and one license. Visitors from outside the region, including prospective student visits and alumni returning for events, also play a pivotal role for the local economy. They add $12.3 million to the economy, supporting the equivalent of 241 jobs through spending on lodging, dining and more. The report also measured years of Lehigh graduates remaining in the Lehigh Valley and either entering the workforce for the first time, or re-entering, with newly acquired knowledge and skill. Lehigh graduates currently employed in the regional workforce made a net impact of $122.5 million in added income in the fiscal year 2024. That’s equivalent to supporting 1,218 jobs. In addition to financial data, the report outlines the many ways Lehigh partners with community organizations, businesses, local governments and nonprofits as the university seeks to contribute to the community while also addressing challenges and needs.—Stephen Gross “A POWERFUL DRIVER OF TALENT, INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, LEHIGH UNIVERSITY IS AN ASSET THAT CREATES ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES SETTING THE LEHIGH VALLEY APART.” — Don Cunningham, president and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation Hyunok Choi $12.3M Approximate amount of visitor spending added to the Lehigh Valley economy CHRISTA NEU
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