Our Team

Emily is a sophomore in the School of Applied Sciences majoring in Exercise Science. She plans on attending graduate school to become a Physician’s Assistant. Emily is interested in physical and mental health conditions and also hopes to gain more clinical psychology experience.  In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, going to hotworx, and traveling.

Cameron Davis is a senior in the College of Liberal Arts majoring in Psychology and minoring in Community Engaged Leadership. She hopes to attend graduate school and receive her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Cameron’s academic interests are anxiety disorders and the ways psychological interventions can support children, adolescents, and their families. 

Bio

Dr. Dixon completed her B.A. in Psychology at the University of Arkansas and earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Wyoming in 2014. Her predoctoral psychology internship/residency was at the University of Mississippi Medical Center & G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center Consortium in Jackson, MS. Dr. Dixon continued at the University of Mississippi Medical Center for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship where she specialized in childhood and adult anxiety and conducted studies to examine anxiety vulnerability factors in relevant health populations, including perinatal women and dermatology patients. Dr. Dixon joined the University of Mississippi’s Psychology Department in Oxford, MS as an assistant professor in 2016 and is a licensed clinical psychologist in Mississippi. When not at work, Dr. Dixon enjoys spending time with her husband and their son, being outside, and baking.

Research

Broadly speaking, Dr. Dixon’s research aims to identify cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors that exacerbate anxiety disorders, misophonia, and related health conditions (e.g., dermatological disorders). Her research emphasizes the use of experimental psychopathology approaches to: (1) examine emotional responses to feared stimuli (e.g., bodily sensations, public speaking) and misophonia triggers, (2) investigate transdiagnostic mechanisms (e.g., anxiety sensitivity, emotion regulation) underlying anxiety and related pathology, and (3) evaluate specific components of science-based interventions (e.g., interoceptive exposure). The goal of this research is to inform the development and implementation of targeted, science-based interventions for individuals suffering from anxiety disorders, misophonia, and emotional distress resulting from co-occurring health and mental health conditions. Dr. Dixon serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Anxiety Disorders and Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. Her research has been funded by the Ream Foundation/Misophonia Research Fund (2020).

Allie Freshley graduated from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. After graduating, she worked in the HART Lab at Ole Miss as a post-baccalaureate research assistant, where she assisted on research related to misophonia. She is currently in her fourth year of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Ole Miss. Allie is interested in anxiety, misophonia, emotion dysregulation, and the interpersonal ways in which these intersect.

Sims Jones is a junior at the University of Mississippi pursuing a degree in Psychology with minors in Spanish and Biology on the Pre-Physician Assistant track. Her research interests focus on anxiety and related disorders, with a particular interest in how psychological symptoms influence physical health, functional impairment, and overall well-being. Sims is passionate about bridging research and patient-centered care, and she hopes to apply this perspective throughout her future career as a Physician Assistant. 

Alexandria is a senior in The College of Liberal Arts, majoring in Psychology and minoring in English and Criminal Justice. She hopes to attend graduate school and get a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Alexandria’s academic interests are forensics and mental disorders, specifically on how said disorders impact one’s everyday life. She hopes to one day be a forensic psychologist and work in the court system. 

Ava is a senior in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, majoring in Biology with minors in Psychology and Chemistry. In the future, she hopes to attend medical school. She is interested in exploring how mental health disorders interact with and influence the development, progression, and outcomes of physical health conditions. 

Kiara Marshall is a senior in the College of Liberal Arts. She wishes to attend graduate school after receiving her B.S. in psychology. Kiara is interested in mental health, psychedelic aided therapy, and consciousness studies.

Blaine Peters received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Texas A&M University in December 2022. After graduating, she continued her research at Texas A&M where she conducted structured clinical interviews, performed positive affect interventions, and collected electroencephalographic (EEG) data from participants with a range of psychopathologies. She is currently in her Third year of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Ole Miss. Blaine is interested in the cognitive, behavioral, and psychophysiological mechanisms underlying obsessive-compulsive and anxiety-related disorders. She hopes to inform novel treatments through her work.

Ava Reker received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Kentucky in August 2024. After graduating, Ava worked as a research assistant at the University of Kentucky and the Yale School of Medicine in the Cognitive Neuroscience and Behavioral Therapy (CnBT) Lab. She worked on several projects examining fear extinction, cognitive flexibility, and safety learning in OCD and PTSD. She is currently in her first year of the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Ole Miss. Ava is interested in transdiagnostic mechanisms of treatment (e.g., anxiety sensitivity, emotion regulation) and OCD.

Carey Sevier graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology before graduating from the University of Nottingham in 2019 with a Master of Science in Health Psychology. She then completed a two year Post-Baccalaureate Clinical Fellowship in the Child and Adolescent Division at McLean Hospital working at the 3East Continuum. Here she worked as a research assistant for the Emotion Regulation and Family Transactions (ERFT) lab, working on several projects looking at adolescent emotion dysregulation, self-hatred, and suicidality. She is currently in her Sixth year of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Ole Miss, and currently completing internship at Stony Brook University Internship Consortium - Child Track. Carey is interested in the intersection of anxiety, emotion dysregulation and maladaptive coping strategies.

Catherine Sullivan is a senior Psychology major with a minor in sociology. She plans to attend graduate school after graduating this May, hoping to specialize in treating those with anxiety disorders. 

Shayon Tayebi graduated from Louisiana State University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology before graduating from Sam Houston State University in 2024 with a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology. He worked at Applied Psychological Services in The Woodlands, Texas from 2023-2024, where he conducted clinical interviews, cognitive assessments, and achievement tests and wrote reports for those seeking Social Security services. He is currently in his Third year of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Ole Miss. Shayon is interested in polysubstance use and racism’s association with anxiety, depression, impulsivity, and OCD.

Lillie Tompkins is a junior in the College of Liberal Arts majoring in Psychology and minoring in Business. Her academic interests include mental disorders, particularly how they develop and impact adolescents and young adults. She hopes to attend graduate school and earn a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, with the goal of becoming a clinical psychologist and working with individuals experiencing a range of psychological disorders.  

Jacob is a senior pre-medical student, double-majoring in Psychology and French. He plans to attend medical school to become a psychiatrist, specializing in substance use disorder treatment.