Welcome to our website!

Members of the Youth Substance Use and Risky Behavior Lab affiliated with the Clinical Psychology PhD program at the University of Southern Mississippi
2018-2019 lab members. Back row, l to r: Latisha Swygert, Ryan Haik, Rachel Glime, Lydia Sigurdson, Chester Moore, Japriest Jerry Middle row: Margaret Bullerjahn, Paula Floyd, Amber Slaughter, Lauren Burns, LaQuitta Simpson Front row: Dr. Charles, Alejandra Salgado, Brooke Cole
The Youth Substance Use and Risky Behavior Lab is headed by Dr. Nora Charles, a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at the University of Southern Mississippi. 

The overarching goals of the Youth Substance Use and Risky Behavior Lab are 1) to understand why children and adolescents engage in behaviors that put themselves and others at risk for harm, and 2) to determine the best ways to reduce the occurrence of these behaviors. To achieve these goals, Dr. Charles and her students study externalizing behaviors in children and adolescents, risk-taking during adolescence and young adulthood, the development of substance use disorders and juvenile delinquency,  the effects of stress on children and adolescents, ​and community-based interventions for at-risk and delinquent youth.

Most of our projects recruit participants from the local community. We also work with several agencies that serve youth and families in south Mississippi (see Current Research for details). These relationships allow us to better understand the lives and experiences of people who engage in the types of behaviors we study, and they also provide opportunities for our research to have an impact on people in the local area. We believe that community-based "research in the real world" is vitally important to the advancement of clinical psychological science because it promotes research innovation and shortens the science-into-practice process.
Dr. Nora Charles and student winners from USM's Undergraduate Research Symposium
Bailee, Dr. Charles, and Latisha after Bailee and Latisha's wins at USM's 2017 Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Dr. Nora Charles and her students at the 2018 Society for Research on Adolescence meeting
Dr. Charles, Margaret, Paula, and Latisha at the 2018 Society for Research on Adolescence conference in Minneapolis.

who are we?

Meet the people who work in the lab

what have we learned?

Read about our research findings

what are we studying?

Learn about our current research projects

what's new?

Find out about recent events and accomplishments
Japriest Jerry presenting research done in Dr. Nora Charles' Youth Substance Use and Risky Behavior Lab
McNair scholar Japriest Jerry presenting research on the association between parenting styles and youth substance use at USM's 2018 Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Margaret Bullerjahn, Clinical Psychology PhD student in Dr. Nora Charles' Youth Substance Use and Risky Behavior Lab at the University of Southern Mississippi, presenting her poster at the 2019 Society for Personality Assessment meeting
Graduate student Margaret Bullerjahn presenting research on how impulsivity and stress relate to substance misuse among youths in a residential facility at the 2019 Society for Personality Assessment meeting in New Orleans.

how can you get in touch?

We love to hear from potential collaborators, students, and community members who are interested in our work!
You can also follow us on Facebook!
Lauren Burns, Clinical Psychology PhD student in Dr. Nora Charles' Youth Substance Use and Risky Behavior Lab at the University of Southern Mississippi, presenting her poster at the 2019 Society for Personality Assessment meeting
Graduate student Lauren Burns presenting research on how personality and psychopathology relate to substance use among youths in a residential facility at the 2019 Society for Personality Assessment meeting in New Orleans. This poster won a Diversity Award at the Conference!
, Clinical Psychology PhD student in Dr. Nora Charles' Youth Substance Use and Risky Behavior Lab at the University of Southern Mississippi, presenting her poster at the 2019 Society for Personality Assessment meeting
Graduate student Lydia Sigurdson presenting research on how impulsivity relates to coping behaviors among youths in a residential facility at the 2019 Society for Personality Assessment meeting in New Orleans. This poster won Honorable Mention!
Latisha Swygert presenting research done in Dr. Nora Charles' Youth Substance Use and Risky Behavior Lab
Honors student Latisha Swygert and her award-winning poster at USM's 2018 Undergraduate Symposium. Latisha compared differences in mental health symptoms and program perceptions among Black and White youths in a residential program.
presenting research done in Dr. Nora Charles' Youth Substance Use and Risky Behavior Lab
McNair Scholar Amber Slaughter presenting research on race, religiosity, and non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents at USM's 2018 Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Paula Floyd, a clinical psychology PhD student in Dr. Nora Charles' Youth Substance Use and Risky Behavior Lab at the University of Southern MississippiPicture
Graduate student Paula Floyd presenting research on how scales of the PAI-A relate to suicidal behaviors and NSSI among youths in a residential facility at the 2019 Society for Personality Assessment meeting in New Orleans.
Members of Dr. Nora Charles' Youth Substance use and Risky Behavior Lab learning about EEG at a luncheon with other faculty
YSURB lab members learning about EEG at a joint lab luncheon with the USM Clinical Psychology labs of Drs. Stephanie Smith and Dan Capron.
Visit the university homepage: https://www.usm.edu