Who are we?
Our Team
Dr. Freddie Pastrana Rivera (he/him)
Dr. Pastrana Rivera is an Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Arkansas and completed a predoctoral internship in child trauma psychology at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). He received postdoctoral training in traumatic loss from MUSC and school-based consultation from Ohio University. Dr. Pastrana Rivera's research interests include evaluating the impact of social and contextual stressors on children's psychosocial functioning, early screening and preventive interventions in schools and communities, and supports for youth from historically underrepresented and racially/ethnically diverse families.
Abigail Wilkinson (she/her)
3rd Year Graduate Student
Abigail (Abi) Wilkinson is a second year clinical psychology doctoral student. She graduated with her B.A. in psychology and a minor in Spanish studies from Clemson University in 2023, where she was an undergraduate research assistant in the Stress, Health, and Well-being Science Lab, the Cognition and Decision Science Lab, and the BRIDGE lab. She worked as a research associate at the University of Texas Medical Branch on three multi-site longitudinal projects, which examined effects of childhood trauma exposure, depression and suicide, and the evolution of PTSD and substance use. Abi is currently interested mental health resource awareness, accessibility, and utilization, particularly in underserved and underrepresented populations. She is also interested in the long-term outcomes of childhood traumatic experiences. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, getting coffee with friends, reading, and Taylor Swift music.
Akila Gopalkrishnan (she/her)
5th Year Graduate Student
Akila Gopalkrishnan graduated with her B.A. in psychology from Trinity University in 2020, where she was an undergraduate research assistant in the Children's Language Development lab. Akila obtained her master of arts in psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2025. She is currently interested in resilience and adjustment as they relate to cultural and contextual factors, particularly after a child experiences a traumatic event. She is also interested in family stressors, parenting, and multicultural identities. Akila is currently completing her doctoral internship at Indiana University School of Medicine in the Child/Pediatric track. Outside of her interests in clinical psychology, Akila plays the bassoon and is classically trained in Bollywood dancing.
Kayleigh Latimer (she/her)
2nd Year Graduate Student
Kayleigh Latimer graduated with her B.S. in Biology from the University of Oklahoma in 2022. She then worked for the Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM) program at UTHealth Houston, a suicide prevention program for 8th-12th graders. While with YAM she facilitated discussions and roleplays designed to target mental health awareness and literacy. Additionally, she worked as a research assistant at UTHealth on two multi-site longitudinal studies examining the effects of traumatic experiences on adolescences. Kayleigh is currently interested in suicide prevention, resource accessibility, and the mechanisms driving protective factors and resilience in youth. In her free time she enjoys reading, surfing, and doing improv.
Josselyn Telule (she/her)
4th Year Graduate Student
Josselyn Telule graduated with her B.A. in psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2023, where she conducted research on how to create therapeutic services that are more affirming for transgender and gender-diverse populations. She then served as a summer research assistant at the University of Illinois Chicago conducting research regarding expulsion and exclusionary experiences of children in early childhood educational environments. Josselyn obtained her masters of arts in psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2026. She is currently interested in what factors drive someone to engage in help-seeking for mental health concerns. She is also interested in the implications of cultural contexts and stigma in mental health literacy and accessibility. Outside of her interests in clinical psychology, Josselyn loves pandas, national parks, Taylor Swift, and discovering new music.
Emily Cordova (she/her)
7th Year Graduate Student
Emily is a seventh year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student and a California native. She graduated from California State University, Monterey Bay with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Statistics. While completing her bachelor’s degree, she worked as a research assistant and volunteered for the Crisis Text Line. Her primary research interests include exploring suicide protective factors, acculturation, and immigration among Latine populations. Additionally, she has experience researching personality assessment measures, such as the PAI and MMPI, to assess suicide risk and non-suicidal self-injury in various populations. Her 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 her doctoral degree, she hopes to work in a community setting, providing clinical services to marginalized populations, and continuing research to aid my clinical practice.
Lab Alumni
Mairin Cotter
Graduate Assistant
Mairin Cotter graduated from Bellarmine University in 2018 with her B.A. in psychology, and from Fordham University in 2021 with her M.S. in Clinical Research Methods. She is interested in the social and neuro-cognitive functioning of children with neurodevelopmental disorders and chronic illnesses. She assisted Dr. Pastrana Rivera as a Research Assistant and primarily worked under Dr. Stephanie Smith in the Child Neurodevelopmental Disorders Lab. Mairin recently completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Alabama Birmingham and is set to move to Austin, TX for a post-doctoral fellowship in neuroscience. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, film photography, and listening to live music!
Rachel Andrews
Feel free to reach out and ask me any questions!
Rachel is a Mobile, Alabama native, and recently graduated from the counseling psychology master’s program. She earned her master’s degree in brain and behavioral science as well as her bachelor’s degree in psychology and business from the University of South Alabama. Her research interests include health psychology, the psychological impacts of chronic health conditions, barriers to care, as well as ways to better serve marginalized groups. She is also interested in peer victimization and bullying prevention in children and adolescents. She previously worked on a “Life During Pregnancy Study” which examined psychological health and barriers to care in pregnant women and a project aimed at 8th-grade students to promote positive youth development. Currently, she is working with the Café PR Lab to examine demographic differences in college students with and without chronic health conditions. She loves spending time with her pet chinchilla named Watson, being outdoors on The Trace Nature Trail, and watching tv.
Sarah Swan (she/her)
Research Assistant
Sarah Swan is a junior Nursing student from Ridgeland, MS studying at USM. She currently works as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the CAFE PR Lab and enjoys participating in studies outside her major. Her research interests are very broad, but her current project addresses the relationship between social media and the well-being of college students who use it. When she is not in the lab, Sarah is usually color-coding notes and todo-lists, taking a walk, or eating good food with friends.
Maddison Knott
Graduate Assistant
Maddison Knott worked with Dr. Pastrana Rivera as a Research Assistant. Maddison primarily worked under Dr. Sara Jordan in the Child Routines and Behaviors lab. She is originally from Lafayette, Louisiana and graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with her B.S. in Psychology. Her primary research interests broadly focus on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), emotion regulation, parenting practices, and child externalizing behaviors. In her free time, Maddison enjoys hammocking while reading a good book, drinking lemon-ginger tea at Mulvi's coffee shop, cooking, and going on walks. Maddison recently completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Maddison has accepted a post-doctoral position at the University of New Mexico.
Angel Moore
Research Assistant
Angel is a senior undergraduate psychology major. She is a research assistant in Dr. Pastrana-Rivera’s lab and Dr. Nora Charles's Youth Substance Use and Risky Behavior lab, where she also serves as the lab liaison. Her current research interests are in clinical and community psychology. Specifically, she is interested in the relationship between community support and stress in college students. Angel enjoys reading and spending time with her family.
Drew Le (he/they)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Drew Le is a junior Psychology and Sociology Double Major at The University of Southern Mississippi. He currently works as a Research Assistant in the CAFE PR lab. He is from Hattiesburg, MS. His research interests focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across all contexts but predominantly in education. When they are not in the lab, Drew enjoys anime, video games, reading, and fashion