Research Support

About the Lab

About the Lab

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

PI: Dr. Yolanda J. McDonald

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