lab director
dr. nora charles
Dr. Charles in the Penedès wine region of Spain
Dr. Charles grew up in New England and went to college at Northwestern University outside of Chicago (go Wildcats!). After graduation, she fled the snowy North and enrolled in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Texas A&M University. She developed her interest in risky behaviors and substance use during her time at Texas A&M, in part because of clinical experiences in which she witnessed the long-term consequences of these problem behaviors. Dr. Charles completed multiple clinical practica in forensic settings during her graduate training. At these sites, she provided psychological and substance use disorder assessments as well as individual and group interventions to offenders. The majority of these offenders were in legal trouble as a result of substance use and/or aggressive behavior, and many had engaged in impulsive and risky behaviors since childhood or early adolescence.
Dr. Charles grew up in New England and went to college at Northwestern University outside of Chicago (go Wildcats!). After graduation, she fled the snowy North and enrolled in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Texas A&M University. She developed her interest in risky behaviors and substance use during her time at Texas A&M, in part because of clinical experiences in which she witnessed the long-term consequences of these problem behaviors. Dr. Charles completed multiple clinical practica in forensic settings during her graduate training. At these sites, she provided psychological and substance use disorder assessments as well as individual and group interventions to offenders. The majority of these offenders were in legal trouble as a result of substance use and/or aggressive behavior, and many had engaged in impulsive and risky behaviors since childhood or early adolescence.
Following her graduate training at Texas A&M, Dr. Charles completed her clinical internship in New York at a community mental health center that serves children, adolescents, and adults. One of the units on which she worked served individuals with dual mental health and substance use disorder diagnoses whose complicated cases provided an excellent learning experience. She also worked on a Structural Family Therapy team and completed forensic risk assessments. Together, these experiences led Dr. Charles to want to better understand the development of substance misuse and other risky behaviors, to design tools for determining which individuals are most at risk for these problems, and to investigate the best ways to intervene to prevent or reduce negative outcomes. Because risky behaviors typically emerge during adolescence, Dr. Charles studied this age range during her postdoctoral work at the Neurobehavioral Research Lab and Clinic in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas School of Medicine in San Antonio, Texas. Her postdoctoral fellowship, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), focused on the development of impulsivity and substance misuse during adolescence. Major findings from that work include (1) documenting the increased exposure to childhood and early adolescent stress and trauma among adolescents with problematic substance use and (2) characterizing the variability in the developmental trajectories of impulsivity and sensation-seeking across adolescence in substance-using and non-using youth.
Dr. Charles is now an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), where she continues to study risky behaviors in adolescents and young adults. The goals of her work include (1) understanding factors that increase the likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors during adolescence and early adulthood, and (2) designing and implementing interventions to reduce the occurrence of these behaviors. Dr. Charles is particularly interested in psychological assessment and in community-engaged work that develops and implements evidence-based practices in settings where they are most needed. The vast majority of clients served by the lab's clinical research projects identify with one or more marginalized identities; cultural competence, cultural humility, and engaging with the community as partners are emphasized in the lab. In addition to managing her research program, Dr. Charles teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on adolescence, psychological assessment, and forensic psychology and supervises students in clinical and research activities. Outside of work, Dr. Charles enjoys Mexican food (and misses this aspect of Texas dearly), true crime TV shows and podcasts, and traveling with her husband to far-flung locations such as Borneo, Nepal, and South Africa during semester breaks.
Dr. Charles is always excited to work with talented people who share her interests, so please contact Dr. Charles if you are interested in collaborating, working in the Youth Substance Use and Risky Behavior Lab, or becoming a student in USM's Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program.
Links:
View Dr. Charles' CV.
View Dr. Charles' ResearchGate profile.
View Dr. Charles' Google Scholar profile.
Learn more about the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Visit the USM Clinical Psychology Program Facebook page.
Dr. Charles is now an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), where she continues to study risky behaviors in adolescents and young adults. The goals of her work include (1) understanding factors that increase the likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors during adolescence and early adulthood, and (2) designing and implementing interventions to reduce the occurrence of these behaviors. Dr. Charles is particularly interested in psychological assessment and in community-engaged work that develops and implements evidence-based practices in settings where they are most needed. The vast majority of clients served by the lab's clinical research projects identify with one or more marginalized identities; cultural competence, cultural humility, and engaging with the community as partners are emphasized in the lab. In addition to managing her research program, Dr. Charles teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on adolescence, psychological assessment, and forensic psychology and supervises students in clinical and research activities. Outside of work, Dr. Charles enjoys Mexican food (and misses this aspect of Texas dearly), true crime TV shows and podcasts, and traveling with her husband to far-flung locations such as Borneo, Nepal, and South Africa during semester breaks.
Dr. Charles is always excited to work with talented people who share her interests, so please contact Dr. Charles if you are interested in collaborating, working in the Youth Substance Use and Risky Behavior Lab, or becoming a student in USM's Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program.
Links:
View Dr. Charles' CV.
View Dr. Charles' ResearchGate profile.
View Dr. Charles' Google Scholar profile.
Learn more about the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Visit the USM Clinical Psychology Program Facebook page.
Contact the lab on social media or by email:
Graduate students
emily cordova
I am a fourth year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student and a California native. I graduated from California State University, Monterey Bay with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Statistics. While completing my bachelor’s degree, I worked as a research assistant and volunteered for the Crisis Text Line. My primary research interests include suicide risk and prevention in adolescents and racial/ethnic minorities. Additionally, I am interested in using personality assessment measures, such as the PAI and MMPI, to assess suicide risk and non-suicidal self-injury in various populations. My master's thesis is focused on MMPI-3 assessment of suicidality as a predictor of sex addiction symptoms in a clinical sample of men undergoing treatment for problematic sexual behaviors. After completing my doctoral degree, I hope to work in a community setting, providing clinical services to marginalized populations, and continuing research to aid my clinical practices.
chloe o'dell
I am a third year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student from Lawrence, KS. I graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2019 with degrees in Psychology and Women’s and Gender Studies with a minor in Spanish. After graduating, I was selected as an NIH PREP Scholar at the University of Kansas, where I studied the etiology and development of child and adolescent problem behaviors. My research interests broadly focus on the development of externalizing problems in youth (and especially disenfranchised youth, such as those in unique settings such as the juvenile justice system and residential programs). I am interested in pursuing projects that work to better identify and contextualize early forms of risky behaviors in youth at and across transitions in development. I am also interested in researching the unique, interacting factors implicated in these behaviors. My master's thesis examined gender differences in associations between antisocial features, borderline features, and proactive and reactive functions of aggression in a sample of at-risk youth. After obtaining my doctorate, I hope to extend my research program in academic settings to inform assessment and intervention programs that disrupt trajectories to antisocial behaviors in disadvantaged youth.
Cameron robins
I am a first-year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student. Originally from Massachusetts, I completed my undergraduate degree at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, where Iearned my B.S. in Psychology and Spanish. I also collaborated with a researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina to collect data for a dose-finding study examining the effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation. After graduating from the College of Charleston, I joined the Brain Stimulation Lab at MUSC as a full-time research assistant. This lab researched various tools used to induce neuromodulation, focusing mostly on transcranial magnetic stimulation. As a graduate student, I am interested in adolescent well-being and development with a specific focus on adolescent males and how different risk factors in their environment can affect behavior and perception of self. In my career, I aspire to combine clinical practice with research to provide community-oriented care to underserved populations and to advance our understanding of assisting adolescents and connecting them to important resources most effectively.
stephanie strong
I am a fifth year Clinical Psychology PhD student and an Iowa native. This year, I am completing my internship at the University of Indiana School of Medicine in the Addictions Track. I received both my Bachelors in Psychology (2014) and Masters in Psychology, with a Clinical Science emphasis (2017) from the University of Northern Iowa. My master's thesis examined an intervention to increase knowledge and reduce the stigma of recreational marijuana users. In May 2013, I began work for UNI’s Center for Social and Behavioral Research as an Interviewer in the Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) lab. The following year, I began working as a Graduate Research Assistant and in May 2017 I was promoted to a Project Coordinator. I worked in this position for two years before applying to graduate school. My research interests include addiction, substance use/misuse, stigma, and developing early intervention strategies for at-risk youth. My dissertation is studying the role of self-stigma on the relationship between experienced stigma and help-seeking attitudes and intentions among adult substance users. After obtaining my doctorate, I plan to continue pursuing academia and addictions research by becoming a faculty member at a university.
cassidy tennity
I am a fourth year Clinical Psychology PhD student from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2018, I graduated from the University of Delaware with my Bachelor’s in Psychology with minors in Legal Studies and Spanish. In 2020, I received my Master’s in Psychology from West Chester University, where I studied the implementation and evaluation of psychological programs for at-risk youth. My primary research interests include the dissemination, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based programs for at-risk and justice-involved youth in juvenile detention and community settings. I am also interested in factors that influence the development of externalizing behavior in youth. Specifically, I am interested in the link between trauma exposure and delinquency. My dissertation project will be the evaluation of a group anger management intervention for adolescents in a juvenile detention center. After obtaining my doctorate, my goal is to conduct applied research that examines how to best implement evidence-based community programs for at-risk and justice-involved youth in order to influence institutional change and inform social policy.
undergraduate students
olivia dampier
I am a senior Psychology major from Madison, MS. After I receive my Bachelor of Science, I plan on going to graduate school somewhere in the South. From there, I hope to become a clinical psychologist with my own private practice.
samuel lovitt
I am a senior Psychology major born and raised in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I hope to attend a graduate program for either Mental Health Counseling, Social Work, or Marriage and Family Counseling. I would love to stay close to home for my graduate program, with considerations being in Mississippi or Louisiana. My goal is to obtain my license to practice clinical mental health counseling, with additional training in substance misuse. From there, I would love to eventually work at the VA for 20 years, retire early, and move on to a part-time private practice while also doing pro-bono work for those who cannot afford counseling services.
Slideshow from the joint lab luncheon between the YSURB lab, Dr. Dan Capron's Anxiety and Trauma Research Program Lab, and Dr. Stephanie Smith's Childhood Neuropsyhiatric Disorders and Electrophysiology Lab (September, 2016)
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alumni
PHD students
Margaret Bullerjahn, phd
Margaret graduated from Miami University in 2015 with a Bachelor's in Psychology and a minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She worked with at-risk youth in Boston Public Schools for 2 years prior to enrolling in graduate school. Margaret completed her internship at the St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium and is now a postdoctoral fellow at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Her research interests include contextual/environmental influences on risky behavior and delinquency in children and adolescents, protective factors, and community-based interventions. Her master's thesis examined how family chaos and routines moderate the relationship between adolescents’ perceived poverty and their engagement in externalizing behaviors. Her dissertation focused on how childhood family dysfunction, emotion regulation, and emotion reactivity contribute to the development of young adult substance misuse.
LAUREN BURNS, phd
Lauren is a Louisiana native who defended her dissertation in September 2023 and graduates in December. She completed her internship at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System in New Orleans and began a postdoctoral fellowship there in Fall 2023. Lauren graduated from UL-Lafayette in 2015 with a Bachelor's in History and Psychology. Following her undergraduate training, she received a Master's in Clinical Psychology at Xavier University of Louisiana. and joined Tulane University's Department of Psychiatry as a research lab coordinator. Lauren's primary research interests include addiction, minority experiences, and behavioral health interventions. Her master's thesis studied adolescents’ self-control abilities and religiosity as predictors of substance use and delinquency. Her dissertation (not yet available online) focused on the role of minority stress in substance use/misuse among gender and sexual minority individuals.
paula floyd, phd
Paula is originally from Bowling Green, KY. She graduated from Western Kentucky University with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Criminology. Paula completed her internship at the Travis County Psychology Internship Program in Austin, TX and is now a postdoctoral fellow at that site. Her current work involves clinical practice and the supervision of psychology interns who provide services to detained juveniles. Paula's research focuses broadly on justice-involved juveniles and those who are at-risk for justice system involvement. More specifically, she is interested in evaluating interventions that aim to improve institutional adjustment and reduce juvenile recidivism. Her master's thesis examined relationships between emotion reactivity, distinct facets of emotion dysregulation, rumination, and NSSI among a sample of at-risk youth in a residential facility and her dissertation involved the psychological assessment of youth in a juvenile detention facility in an effort to determine predictors of misconduct while incarcerated.
undergraduates
delaney anderson
Delaney graduated summa cum laude in 2022 and earned a Bachelor's in Psychology with minors in Sociology and Criminal Justice. She is currently employed at Pinebelt Mental Healthcare Resources as a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist and works to support adults with serious mental illness to improve their overall quality of life. She plans to further her education in the near future and is currently exploring options and interests. Her current interests include substance use/misuse, rehabilitation and reentry, prevention and intervention for at-risk and justice-involved youth, and factors that influence the development of externalizing behaviors in youth.
Bailee brewer
Bailee graduated from USM in May 2017 with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Spanish, with honors and summa cum laude. She worked as a Community Support Specialist with Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources for one year and then decided that her calling was teaching. She is now a teacher with the Hancock County School District.
caroline carmody
Caroline graduated in 2022 with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Criminal Justice. She is now a student in the MA program in Psychology at Sam Houston State University.
Katelyn daniels
Katelyn graduated from USM in May 2016 as a Ronald E. McNair scholar with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Education of the Deaf. During the summer of 2016, Katelyn participated in the National Institute on Drug Abuse Summer Research Internship Program and conducted research on HIV risk behaviors among IV drug users with Dr. Mary Mackesy-Amiti at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She obtained an MA in Counseling from Adler University and currently works as a therapist in the Chicago area.
hermella eshete
Hermella graduated from USM with a Master's in Public Health (Epidemiology/Biostatistics focus) in 2022. She is originally from Ethiopia. Hermella worked with the lab as a statistics intern and she is now working as an epidemiologist at the Kentucky Department of Public Health.
Japriest jerry
Japriest graduated from USM with a BA in Psychology in May 2019. He was a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and completed an independent research project on the associations among parenting behaviors, religiosity, and substance use among at-risk youths in the lab in while a member of the YSURB lab. Japriest obtained an MSEd from the Clinical Mental Health Counseling MSED program at St. Bonaventure University. He currently works as a therapist in Memphis, TN.
angel moore
Angel graduated from the Honors College Summa Cum Laude with her BS in Psychology from USM in 2023. While at Southern, she was a McNair Scholar and conducted research on social support, stress, and mental health outcomes in college students. She is now a student at the University of Mississippi in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. She intends to pursue academia and research in the future.
ShaKyiah saddler
ShaKyiah graduated from USM in May 2017 as a McNair Scholar with a BA in Psychology. She attended Georgia Southern University's School Psychology Ed. S. program now works as a school psychologist at Shelby County Schools in Memphis, TN.
laquitta Simpson
Laquitta graduated with Honors from USM with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Child and Family Studies in May 2019. She was a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and completed an independent research project on the link between religiosity and risky behaviors in Black vs. White youths while a member of the YSURB lab. Laquitta is working in a direct care position in New Orleans and is planning to apply for graduate school in the future.
AMber slaughter
Amber graduated from USM with a Honors and with a BS in Psychology and a minor in Child and Family Studies in May 2019. Amber was a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and completed an independent research project on the associations between race, religiosity, and non-suicidal self-injury in at-risk adolescents while she was a member of the YSURB lab. She obtained a Clinical Mental Health Counseling MA from the University of Alabama and is now a therapist in Tuscaloosa, AL.
Latisha swygert
Latisha graduated with Honors from USM with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Black Studies in May 2019. She is now a Clinical Psychology PhD student at the University of Georgia. Latisha completed an Honors thesis focused on the experiences and attitudes of minority young adults in relation to the current national political climate while a member of the YSURB lab. She also completed a NIDA summer internship in Dr. Charles' former lab at the University of Texas School of Medicine in San Antonio. Latisha wants to study African American mental health in graduate school and she hopes to build a career involving both research and clinical practice.
