The AQUASS Lab is excited to announce the addition of three new members: Tali Schneider, David Dillon, and Chrystal A. S. Smith. Drs. Schneider and Dillon join the team as scientific researchers, while Dr. Smith joins as a Social and Behavioral Researcher. These trio brings extensive experience in mixed methods research design, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and public health scholarship.
With nearly 20 years of experience in health promotion and implementation science, Dr. Schneider specializes in designing and executing complex social and behavioral health research that puts people first. By leveraging human-centered design and qualitative expertise, Dr. Schneider translates research into actionable strategies to optimize healthcare delivery and access across populations. As a former Health Science Specialist at James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, Dr. Schneiders work focuses on Veteran’s health and women-centered care, specifically addressing topics such as traumatic brain injury, PTSD, chronic pain, and the optimization of remote service delivery.
Dr. David Dillon has years of experience working in public health and environmental research. His expertise is in research design and methods, combining both quantitative and qualitative data with focuses on epidemiology and social network analysis. Dr. Dillon utilizes these techniques to answer questions relevant to anthropology, public health, and epidemiology with applied implications. Before joining USF, he served as an epidemiologist at the United States Environmental Protection Agency in the Office of Research and Development. There he focused on Integrated Science Assessments examining the relationships between environmental exposures and health outcomes.
Dr. Chrystal A. S. Smith is an anthropologist with an M.P.H. in epidemiology. Her research interests include chronic disease and behavioral health management. She has been the PI and co-PI of several National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM education awards. She also has served as a Program Officer at the National Science Foundation evaluating proposals and managing budgets. She has extensive experience developing and writing grant proposals for federal agencies and conducting mixed methods evaluations of federal awards.
The combined expertise of Drs. Schneider, Dillon, and Smith strongly aligns with AQUASS’s mission to expand access to healthcare through innovative approaches grounded in public health and the social sciences.
