Research Support
Past Research Support
National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control (prime), CDC-RFA-EJ20-2025
Project Title: Strengthening environmental health capacity (EHC) to detect, prevent, and control environmental health hazards through data-driven, evidence-based approaches
Year(s): 2021-2023
DWJL Projects Supported: Tennessee Community Water System Estimated Service Area Boundary Digitization Process
PI: Dr. Mary-Margaret Fill, Tennessee Department of Health
Site PI: Dr. Yolanda J. McDonald
Research Assistants: Marie Caiola (Lead), Austin Fernandez, Minoli Fernando, Ashley Kim (Lead), Aakash Manapat, & Meena Muthusubramanian
National Environmental Health Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (prime), CDC-RFA-EH15-1507
Project Title: Private Wells Project
Years: 2021
DWJL Projects Supported: Tennessee Private Wells Project
PI: Dr. Mary-Margaret Fill, Tennessee Department of Health
Site PI: Dr. Yolanda J. McDonald
Research Assistants: Mariah D. Caballero (Lead) & Austin Fernandez
Vanderbilt Interdisciplinary Discovery Grant
Project Title: Water, Water Everywhere: What drops are safe to drink?
Year(s): 2019-2021
DWJL Projects Supported: Tennessee Community Water System Estimated Service Area Boundary Digitization Process, United States Community Water System Estimated Service Area Boundary Geospatial Database, Tennessee Public Water Operator Survey, and United States Comprehensive Drinking Water Database
PIs: Dr. George M. Hornberger, Dr. Yolanda J. McDonald, Dr. Doug H. Fisher, Dr. Jonathan Gilligan, Dr. Brad Hawkins, Dr. Patrick Greiner, Dr. Michelle Marcus, & Dr. Janey Camp
Research Assistants: Kayla M. Anderson, Mariah D. Caballero, Marie Caiola, Mia Dillon, Ke Jack Ding, Austin Fernandez, Rachel Flores, Ashley Kim, Ujjwal Jian, Aakash Manapat, Juan C. Martinez, Rachel McKane, Meena Muthusubramanian, Adrienne Parks, & Dmitry Semenov
Meharry-Vanderbilt Community Engaged Research Core Mini-Grant. Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (CTSA) award number UL1TR000445 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Project Title: Behind the Pipes: Tennessee Public Water Systems Operators Insights on the Challenges of Ensuring a Safe Drinking Water Supply.
Year(s): 2019-2021
DWJL Projects Supported: Tennessee Public Water Operator Survey
Community Partner(s): Bob Freudenthal, Tennessee Association of Utility Districts
Research Assistants: Kayla Anderson (Lead), Cate Paxton, & Mia Dillion
CDC Safe Water for Community Health (prime), CDC-RFA-EH15-1507
Project Title: Environmental Health Services Support for Public Health Drinking Water Programs to Reduce Drinking Water Exposures
Year(s): 2018-2020
DWJL Projects Supported: Tennessee Community Water System Estimated Service Area Boundary Digitization Process
PI: Dr. Mary-Margaret Fill, Tennessee Department of Health
Site PI: Dr. Yolanda J. McDonald
Research Assistants: Dmitry Semenov (Lead), Ashley Kim, Aakash Manapat, & Rachel Flores
Student Funding
Past Funding
Vanderbilt Undergraduate Summer Research Program, Littlejohn Summer Research Scholar
Project Title: Association between Fluoride Levels in Tennessee Community Water Drinking Water Systems and Caries
DWJL Projects Supported: Tennessee Dental Caries Prevention: Fluoride Levels in Community Water Systems
Year(s): 2021
Undergraduate Student Researcher: Ashley Kim
Faculty Advisors: Dr. Yolanda J. McDonald, Dr. Ke Jack Ding, & Dr. Derek K. Smith
Vanderbilt Undergraduate Summer Research Program, Littlejohn Summer Research Scholar
Project Title: Forever chemicals in Tennessee? Potential Public health consequences of PFAS
DWJL Projects Supported: Machine Learning approach to predicting PFAS contamination in Community Water Systems
Year(s): 2021
Undergraduate Student Researcher: Aakash Manapat
Faculty Advisors: Dr. Yolanda J. McDonald & Dr. Ke Jack Ding
Vanderbilt University, Peabody College, Russell G. Hamilton Student-Faculty Summer Research Grant
Project Title: Tennessee Public Water Operator Survey
Year(s): 2019
Graduate Student Researcher: Kayla M. Anderson
Faculty Advisors: Dr. Yolanda J. McDonald