REAL Student Research Experiences: 2024-2025
The Rollins Earn and Learn (REAL) program is a signature program funded by Rollins that offers full-time MPH/MSPH students valuable opportunities to earn while they learn through applied public health experiences in real-world settings.Through HERCULES co-funding, the Center supports several REAL students supervised by HERCULES investigators each academic year. A summary of each student’s experience is provided below.
Sarah Timbie
I had the absolute honor to join HERCULES’ Community Engagement Core (CEC) for my APE and as a research assistant in the second year of my Global Environmental Health MPH program. I worked primarily with Erin Lebow-Skelley and Dr. Melanie Pearson and had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects, including facilitating community partnerships through the Roadshow and Community Grant Program; developing infographics on environmental health topics; attending Stakeholder Advisory Board meetings; designing surveys; conducting secondary qualitative analyses; and helping out at multiple HERCULES events.
For my APE experience, I had three deliverables: an infographic about PFAS, a summary of findings from a focus group on the Stakeholder Advisory Board’s experience with HERCULES, and a Qualtrics survey to help assess the experiences of local community groups participating in the Roadshow and Community Grant Program.
Through this position, I have been able to present research findings at conferences, hone my qualitative research skills, and meet so many inspiring and driven Atlanta community members engaged in environmental health research with HERCULES. I now have such an appreciation for community-engaged research and all of the time, effort, and people-power that it takes to develop meaningful partnerships between academic institutions and community groups. My time with the CEC has been one of the biggest highlights while attending Rollins, and I have developed so many skills that I know I will take with me for the rest of my career.
Karine David
As a second-year MPH student concentrating in Behavioral, Social, and Health Education, I have been able to utilize and develop key skills as part of Dr. Erin Ferranti’s and Dr. Doug Walker’s lab. During my REAL position, I focused on developing culturally relevant health education materials addressing the impact of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on cardiovascular health, with an emphasis on maternal health among African American women. These materials were created to support the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child Cohort study, aiming to raise awareness of the link between EDC exposure and poor cardiovascular outcomes. By translating complex scientific findings into accessible language, the materials empower participants to adopt protective behaviors that may reduce health risks, particularly during pregnancy, and address broader health disparities rooted in environmental exposures and systemic inequities. This experience was especially meaningful to me, as it deepened my commitment to advancing health equity for marginalized and disadvantaged populations and highlighted the importance of patient education in improving maternal health outcomes.
In addition to the health education component, I had the opportunity to co-draft a preliminary systematic review focused on interventions in the postnatal period (0–12 weeks postpartum, followed up to one year) and their impact on maternal health outcomes. This review explores a range of interventions—including clinical, behavioral, educational, community-based, and policy approaches—designed to mitigate adverse maternal health conditions. The findings provide critical evidence to inform best practices and guide the development of effective, contextually relevant strategies aimed at improving maternal health equity and reducing postpartum complications. Contributing to this review was a worthwhile opportunity that strengthened my skills in research synthesis and critical appraisal, and reinforced my passion for integrating evidence-based interventions into clinical and community practice.
Hayley (Yunjie) Huang
During my second year at the Rollins School of Public Health, I was grateful for the opportunity to work as a graduate research assistant in Dr. Stephanie Eick’s lab in the Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health. My research investigated how dietary factors modify the association between prenatal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure and adverse birth outcomes, with a focus on Black pregnant individuals enrolled in the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child cohort. This project relates to my undergraduate research experience and aligns closely with my longstanding interest in environmental exposures and maternal and child health.
With guidance from Dr. Eick and support from the Emory P30 HERCULES Center, I gained hands-on research experience in advanced statistical modeling using R, including Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) and quantile g-computation to assess both individual and mixture effects of PFAS compounds. I am currently preparing a manuscript based on this work and will present the findings in an oral presentation at the 2025 ISES-ISEE Joint Annual Meeting.
This project not only strengthened my skills in environmental epidemiology and data analysis but also deepened my passion to address environmental exposures that impact reproductive health. As an incoming PhD student in Environmental Health Sciences at Rollins, I look forward to building on this foundation, learning new methods, and continuing to explore harmful environmental exposures.
Saketh Sankara
I am a first-year MPH student specializing in Epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health. Through my REAL position, funded by the HERCULES Exposome Research Center, I am conducting data analysis as a part of a pilot study exploring the correlation between Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and various metabolic health outcomes, including body composition and insulin sensitivity measures, in a cohort of patients who underwent bariatric surgery.
Under the mentorship of Dr. Thomas Ziegler, Professor at Emory School of Medicine and Facility Co-Lead of IHSFC Clinical/Population Research Services, I investigated whether pre-operative plasma concentrations of specific PFAS compounds (PFHxS, PFNA, PFOS) and their changes post-surgery are associated with metabolic health indicators. I employed statistical methodologies including linear regressions, correlations, paired t-tests, and linear mixed models, utilizing SAS and R for data analysis, data manipulation, and figure creation. I also gained understanding of metabolomics analytical tools and techniques, significantly enhancing my statistical and methodological skillset. This experience culminated with me writing the first draft of a manuscript for publication.
This research experience significantly broadened my understanding of environmental health sciences, particularly regarding environmental pollutants like PFAS, reinforcing my intent to incorporate this research into my MPH thesis and Applied Practice Experience (APE). Moving forward, I plan to investigate the relationship between PFAS burden and the gut microbiome.
Yasmith Farnan
During the first semester of my MPH in Environmental Health-Epidemiology, I began to work with Dr. Donghai Liang and the Environmental Metabolomics and Exposomics (EMERGE) Group as a Graduate Research Assistant through the REAL program supported by the HERCULES Exposome Center. The EMERGE Group combines multi-omics technologies to look at the impact of environmental exposures on the intracellular mechanisms that contribute to the development of complex health conditions. The study I was part of looked at the relationship between air pollution exposure and the development of Alzheimer’s Disease and other related dementias (ADRD) in adults who were participants in the Emory Brain Bank. This study required collaboration with other labs within the HERCULES network to investigate potential causes and metabolomic biomarkers for ADRD conditions.
I conducted a literature review about the metabolomics of Alzheimer’s Disease with regards to air pollution exposure. I improved my R coding skills over the course of the year by learning how to utilize air pollution and metabolomics data as well as running pathway analyses. I have become more familiar with various R packages and how many are utilized together to conduct data analytics. My neuroscience background, along with information from the literature review, gave me insight into the complexity of the factors involved in ADRD development that anchored me while I was learning the data cleaning and analysis process. As I enter the second year of my MPH, I hope to continue working with the EMERGE Group to develop my thesis project. In the future, I plan to utilize -omics study designs and data frameworks to understand the impact of environmental exposures on neurological conditions as part of my APE and ILE.
Abby Magoola
I have gained valuable experience and knowledge during my time as a Graduate Research Assistant with the HERCULES Community Engagement Core. Working with Dr. Melanie Pearson and Ms. Erin Lebow-Skelley has uncovered important aspects of Public Health Community Engagement and provided opportunities to apply my newly earned knowledge.
My work with HERCULES was primarily focused on the production and dissemination of Public Health communications. I have written summary reports for different community events, designed infographics that communicate the goals and accomplishments of HERCULES, and developed videos that highlight the strengths of HERCULES and its community partnerships. Throughout the development of these deliverables, I have received key insight and thoughtful revision from Dr. Pearson and Ms. Lebow-Skelley, which increased the impact of my work.
As a Graduate Assistant, I was also able to apply knowledge gained in the MPH program by assisting in various community outreach events. For these events, I helped set up the event space, transported necessary materials, and shared important information to the public. By participating in these community outreach events, I have gained a clearer vision of what meaningful application of my MPH looks like. Engaging directly with the public helped me understand both the information they are most eager to learn and the critical concepts that often need more explanation. It was incredibly rewarding to bridge that gap and see the real-world impact of public health communication.
My time with HERCULES has greatly strengthened my confidence in public health communication, community engagement, and applying my MPH in real-world settings. I am grateful for the many experiences I have received, and I highly recommend continuing to offer this role to future students.
Calla Reed
I worked as a graduate research assistant with the Laboratory for Exposure Assessment and Development in Environmental Research (LEADER) group. LEADER utilizes mass spectrometry techniques (GC-MS, ICP-MS, and LC-MS) to investigate the molecular mechanisms that link multi-dimensional environmental exposures with disease etiologies. Under the guidance of Dr. Dana Barr and Lab Manager Ms. Priya D’Souza, I assisted with cleaning, organizing and preparing samples for several PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) studies, such as the SUWANEE study analyzing PFAS concentrations in maternal serum in mothers from agricultural regions of Thailand and the Rome, Georgia study analyzing PFAS in blood concentrations in residents of Rome, GA, the “carpet manufacturing capital” of the world.
I also had the opportunity to analyze data examining trends in PFAS exposure and blood serum concentrations for the Rome, GA PFAS study. This subproject allowed me to participate fully in the analytical process, including organization, preparing and analyzing samples, data cleaning and statistical analyses.