team
Lab
Emily Junkin, PhD
Director
Dr. Junkin is an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Psychology discipline of the School of Psychology at The University of Southern Mississippi. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Virginia Consortium Program of Clinical Psychology based in Norfolk, Virginia. While in graduate school, Dr. Junkin conducted research on impaired control over alcohol use using cross-sectional, daily diary, and experimental designs. Notably, she conducted the first alcohol administration study at Old Dominion University. Clinically, Dr. Junkin has considerable experience working with college-attending emerging adults in university settings and completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Delaware's Center for Counseling and Student Development
Personally, Dr. Junkin enjoys playing tennis, lounging, cooking, and spending time with her husband and two small dogs.
Graduate Student Members
Elija Hicks, B.S.
Graduate Student
Elija is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. He graduated in 2026 from Furman University with a B.S. In Psychology and Health Sciences. Currently, his research interests are broadly focused on the more nuanced factors involved in impaired control and impulsivity, and how they relate to unplanned drinking episodes. He is also interested in how habit formation and behavioral regulation might be linked to alcohol misuse.
Zoeanne McCurdy, B.A.
Graduate Student
Zoe is a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program. She graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from the University of West Florida in 2024. She then transitioned to a Research Associate position at the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition before joining the CHEERS Lab in 2026. Her research interests focus on the intersection of alcohol use disorders and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, with particular interest in comorbid risk factors and motivations to perpetrate violence against intimate partners. She is especially interested in treatment and early intervention strategies. She aims to pursue a career at an academic medical center or a collaborative teaching and research environment, enabling informed research and practice in real time.
Undergraduate Student Members
Taylor Singleton
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Taylor Singleton is a third-year undergraduate student with a major in psychology and a sociology minor. She recently transferred from Hinds Community College after graduating with her associate degree. Taylor is currently interested in exploring academic spaces to gain knowledge in different psychological fields. She is also interested in the effects of the brain after traumatic internal and external personal events. She enjoys hanging out with friends, drawing, watching anime, and listening to the alternative genre of music in her free time.