Biography
Dr Youssef is a cognitive neuropsychologist and biostatistician with expertise in the design and analysis of longitudinal studies of socioemotional and neurocognitive development, spanning childhood through to adulthood. His personal research interests are focused on understanding the phenomenology of exploratory behaviours in young people, including how engaging in these behaviours can promote healthy transition into adulthood.
Read more on George's profileBiography summary
Dr Youssef completed his PhD and Master of Psychology (Clinical Neuropsychology) degrees in 2013 (University of Melbourne) and Master of Biostatistics degree in 2015 (University of Melbourne). He was previously employed as a research fellow at Monash University and worked clinically in the neuropsychology team at the McKellar Center (Barwon Health). Dr Youssef was offered a continuing appointment at Deakin University in 2015. He is a senior member of the Data Sciences Platform within the Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development (SEED) at Deakin University and leads the Longitidinal and Cohort Studies Group which provides statistical consulting support to all longitudinal studies within SEED. He holds an Honorary appointment in the Centre for Adolescent Health at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute.
In the years since completing his PhD, Dr Youssef's research has been primarily focused on quantitative psychology and statistical consulting work across a number of major (i.e. ARC and NHMRC funded) longitudinal studies of development in Australia. He is a senior statistical advisor for the Australian Temperament Project, one of the oldest studies of development in Australia, spaning 35+ years and three generations of participants (n=2400); the Adolescent Development Study, which is a large longitudinal study of adolescent neurobiological and socioemotional development (n=400); and the Triple B Pregnancy Cohort Study, which is examining how perinatal factors influence development over time (n=1600). He is also an investigator on a major ARC funded project focussed on cross-cohort analysis of major longitudinal intergenerational studies (Australian and New Zealand Intergenerational Cohort Consortium) and is an active analyst within other major consortiums focused on the cross-cohort analysis of longitudinal data across Australia and New Zealand (e.g., Cannabis Cohorts Research Consortium). Finally, he is the senior statistical advisor for the Gambling Studies group at Deakin University (embedded within the Deakin University Centre for Drug use, Addictive and Anti-social behaviour Research; CEDAAR) and in this role has made substantial contributions to major government funded (e.g. Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, Tasmanian Department of Treasury and Finance) studies of gambling behaviour, which have direct implications for the public (e.g., developing empirically derived responsible gambling guidelines for the Victorian Government). Beyond quantiative methods, Dr Youssef has specific interest in risk taking and exploratory behaviours and leads a program of research examining the development and phenomenology of these behaviours over the lifecourse.
Affiliations
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne Royal Children's Hospital, Australia
Knowledge areas
Longitudinal data analysis, risk taking and exploratory behaviour, adolescence and young adulthood
Publications
Genevieve Le Bas, George Youssef, Jacqui Macdonald, Larissa Rossen, Samantha Teague, Emily Kothe, Jennifer McIntosh, Craig Olsson, Delyse Hutchinson
(2020), Vol. 29, pp. 3-20, Social development, Chichester, Eng., C1
K Little, C Olsson, S Whittle, J Macdonald, L Sheeber, G Youssef, J Simmons, A Sanson, D Foley, N Allen
(2019), Vol. 90, pp. 1061-1079, Child development, Chichester, Eng., C1
Diana Smart, George Youseff, Ann Sanson, Margot Prior, John Toumbourou, Craig Olsson
(2019), Vol. 71, pp. 1-12, Australian journal of psychology, Chichester, Eng., C1
Adolescent care-orientation and positive development in young adulthood
Delyse Hutchinson, George Youssef, Adrienne Buhagiar, Samantha Teague, Jacqui Macdonald, Primrose Letcher, Chris Greenwood, Jennifer Mcintosh, John Toumbourou, William Hallam, Helen Skouteris, Ann Sanson, C Olsson
(2019), Vol. 64, pp. 63-69, Journal of adolescent health, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Jeggan Tiego, Sanne Oostermeijer, Luisa Prochazkova, Linden Parkes, Andrew Dawson, George Youssef, Erin Oldenhof, Adrian Carter, Rebecca Segrave, Leonardo Fontenelle, Murat Ycel
(2019), Vol. 24, pp. 426-440, CNS spectrums, Cambridge, Eng., C1
Claire Joseph, Subhadra Evans, George Youssef, Tim Silk, Vicki Anderson, Daryl Efron, Emma Sciberras
(2019), pp. 1-10, European child & adolescent psychiatry, Berlin, Germany, C1
Pamela Barhoun, Ian Fuelscher, Emily Kothe, Jason He, George Youssef, Peter Enticott, Jacqueline Williams, Christian Hyde
(2019), Vol. 99, pp. 282-297, Neuroscience & biobehavioral reviews, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Profiles of emotion regulation in young people accessing youth mental health and drug treatment
E Sloan, K Hall, G Youssef, R Moulding, H Mildred, P Staiger
(2019), Vol. 43, pp. 769-780, Cognitive therapy and research, Cham, Switzerland, C1
Exploring the "preterm behavioral phenotype" in children born extremely preterm
Alice Burnett, George Youssef, Peter Anderson, Julianne Duff, Lex Doyle, Jeanie Cheong, Victorian Infant Collaborative Study Group
(2019), Vol. 40, pp. 200-207, Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics, Philadelphia, Pa., C1
Dissociable implicit sequence learning mechanisms revealed by continuous theta-burst stimulation
G Clark, M Barham, A Ware, J Plumridge, B O'Sullivan, K Lyons, T Fitzgibbon, B Buck, G Youssef, M Ullman, P Enticott, J Lum
(2019), Vol. 133, pp. 341-349, Behavioral neuroscience, Washington, D.C., C1
Rohan Borschmann, Denise Becker, Elizabeth Spry, George Youssef, Craig Olsson, Delyse Hutchinson, Edmund Silins, Joseph Boden, Margarita Moreno-Betancur, Jake Najman, Louisa Degenhardt, Richard Mattick, Helena Romaniuk, L Horwood, George Patton, Cannabis Cohorts Research Consortium
(2019), Vol. 197, pp. 326-334, Drug and alcohol dependence, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Jake Najman, Maria Plotnikova, John Horwood, Edmund Silins, David Fergusson, George Patton, Craig Olsson, Delyse Hutchinson, Louisa Degenhardt, Robert Tait, George Youssef, Rohan Borschmann, Carolyn Coffey, John Toumbourou, Richard Mattick
(2019), Vol. 45, pp. 427-436, Aggressive behavior, Chichester, Eng., C1
Elizabeth Spry, Margarita Moreno-Betancur, Denise Becker, Helena Romaniuk, John Carlin, Emma Molyneaux, Louise Howard, Joanne Ryan, Primrose Letcher, Jennifer McIntosh, Jacqui Macdonald, Christopher Greenwood, Kimberley Thomson, Helena McAnally, Robert Hancox, Delyse Hutchinson, George Youssef, Craig Olsson, George Patton
(2019), pp. 1-11, Psychological medicine, Cambridge, Eng., C1
Judy Luigjes, Valentina Lorenzetti, Sanneke de Haan, George Youssef, Carsten Murawski, Zsuzsika Sjoerds, Wim van den Brink, Damiaan Denys, Leonardo Fontenelle, Murat Ycel
(2019), Vol. 29, pp. 4-13, Neuropsychology review, New York, N.Y., C1
Alexandra Schnabel, George Youssef, David Hallford, Eliza Hartley, Jane McGillivray, Michelle Stewart, David Forbes, David Austin
(2019), pp. 1-15, Autism, London, Eng., C1
Prenatal alcohol exposure and infant gross motor development: a prospective cohort study
Delyse Hutchinson, George Youssef, Clare McCormack, Judy Wilson, Steve Allsop, Jake Najman, Elizabeth Elliott, Lucinda Burns, Sue Jacobs, Ingrid Honan, Larissa Rossen, Hannah Fiedler, Samantha Teague, Joanne Ryan, Craig Olsson, Richard Mattick
(2019), Vol. 19, BMC pediatrics, London, Eng., C1
C Greenwood, G Youssef, K Betts, P Letcher, J Mcintosh, E Spry, D Hutchinson, J Macdonald, L Hagg, A Sanson, J Toumbourou, C Olsson
(2019), Vol. 201, pp. 58-64, Drug and alcohol dependence, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
A randomized controlled trial of inhibitory control training for smoking cessation and reduction
J Bos, P Staiger, M Hayden, L Hughes, G Youssef, N Lawrence
(2019), Vol. 87, pp. 831-843, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, Washington, D.C., C1
Neurodevelopmental trajectories related to attention problems predict driving-related risk behaviors
N Vijayakumar, N Allen, G Youssef, J Simmons, M Byrne, S Whittle
(2019), Vol. 23, pp. 1346-1355, Journal of attention disorders, London, Eng., C1
Nicki Dowling, Carla Butera, Stephanie Merkouris, George Youssef, Simone Rodda, Alun Jackson
(2019), Vol. 8, pp. 1-15, Journal of clinical medicine, Basel, Switzerland, C1
The diagnostic accuracy of brief screening instruments for problem gambling: A systematic review and meta-analysis
N Dowling, S Merkouris, S Dias, S Rodda, V Manning, G Youssef, D Lubman, R Volberg
(2019), Vol. 74, Clinical Psychology Review, C1
Unpacking the role of self-reported compulsivity and impulsivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder
L Prochazkova, L Parkes, A Dawson, G Youssef, G Ferreira, V Lorenzetti, R Segrave, L Fontenelle, M Ycel
(2018), Vol. 23, pp. 51-58, CNS spectrrums, New York, N.Y., C1
J Macdonald, G Youssef, L Phillips, E Spry, Y Alway, G Patton, C Olsson
(2018), Vol. 21, pp. 171-180, Archives of women's mental health, Vienna, Austria, C1
N Dowling, E Oldenhof, K Shandley, G Youssef, S Vasiliadis, S Thomas, E Frydenberg, A Jackson
(2018), Vol. 77, pp. 16-20, Addictive behaviors, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
K Betts, R Alati, P Baker, P Letcher, D Hutchinson, G Youssef, C Olsson
(2018), Vol. 48, pp. 23-32, Psychological medicine, Cambridge, Eng., C1
D Hutchinson, J Wilson, S Allsop, E Elliott, J Najman, L Burns, A Bartu, S Jacobs, I Honan, C McCormack, L Rossen, H Fiedler, C Stone, S Khor, J Ryan, G Youssef, C Olsson, R Mattick, Triple B Research Consortium
(2018), Vol. 47, pp. 26-27m, International Journal of Epidemiology, Oxford, Eng., C1
Relationship between measures of impulsivity in opioid-dependent individuals
M Kras, G Youssef, J Garfield, M Ycel, D Lubman, J Stout
(2018), Vol. 120, pp. 133-137, Personality and individual differences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
N Albein-Urios, G Youssef, M Kirkovski, P Enticott
(2018), Vol. 48, pp. 2506-2515, Journal of autism and developmental disorders, New York, N.Y., C1
Maternal and partner prenatal alcohol use and infant cognitive development
C McCormack, D Hutchinson, L Burns, G Youssef, J Wilson, E Elliott, S Allsop, J Najman, S Jacobs, L Rossen, C Olsson, R Mattick
(2018), Vol. 185, pp. 330-338, Drug and alcohol dependence, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
A Booth, J Macdonald, G Youssef
(2018), Vol. 48, pp. 145-177, Developmental review, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
E Sloan, K Hall, A Simpson, G Youssef, R Moulding, H Mildred, P Staiger
(2018), Vol. 25, pp. 427-441, Cognitive and behavioral practice, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Stuart Oldham, Carsten Murawski, Alex Fornito, George Youssef, Murat Ycel, Valentina Lorenzetti
(2018), Vol. 39, pp. 3398-3418, Human brain mapping, Chichester, Eng., C1
E Silins, L Horwood, J Najman, G Patton, J Toumbourou, C Olsson, D Hutchinson, L Degenhardt, D Fergusson, D Becker, J Boden, R Borschmann, M Plotnikova, G Youssef, R Tait, P Clare, W Hall, R Mattick, Cannabis Cohorts Research Consortium
(2018), pp. 1811-1825, Addiction, Chichester, Eng., C1
G Cassar, S Knowles, G Youssef, R Moulding, D Uiterwijk, L Waters, D Austin
(2018), Vol. 23, pp. 1168-1181, Psychology, health and medicine, Abingdon, Eng., C1
Laura Di Manno, Jacqui Macdonald, George Youseff, Keriann Little, C Olsson
(2018), Vol. 241, pp. 325-337, Journal of affective disorders, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease changes perception in the Rubber Hand Illusion
Catherine Ding, Colin Palmer, Jakob Hohwy, George Youssef, Bryan Paton, Naotsugu Tsuchiya, Julie Stout, Dominic Thyagarajan
(2018), Vol. 8, pp. 1-10, Scientific reports, London, Eng., C1
Louise Destre, Danielle Amiet, Adrian Carter, Rico Lee, Valentina Lorenzetti, Rebecca Segrave, George Youssef, Nadia Solowij, Murat Ycel
(2018), Vol. 7, pp. 1-5, Drugs in context, London, Eng., C1
Daniel Corp, George Youssef, Ross Clark, Joyce Gomes-Osman, Meryem Ycel, Stuart Oldham, Shatha Aldraiwiesh, Jordyn Rice, Alvaro Pascual-Leone, Mark Rogers
(2018), Vol. 113, pp. 95-105, Experimental gerontology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Problem gambling and family violence: findings from a population-representative study
Nicki Dowling, Carrie Ewin, George Youssef, Stephanie Merkouris, Aino Suomi, Shane Thomas, Alun Jackson
(2018), Vol. 7, pp. 806-813, Journal of behavioral addictions, Budapest, Hungary, C1
Retention strategies in longitudinal cohort studies: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Samantha Teague, George Youssef, Jacqui Macdonald, Emma Sciberras, Adrian Shatte, Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, Chris Greenwood, Jennifer McIntosh, Craig Olsson, Delyse Hutchinson, SEED Lifecourse Sciences Theme
(2018), Vol. 18, pp. 1-22, BMC medical research methodology, London, Eng., C1
N Dowling, S Merkouris, C Greenwood, E Oldenhof, J Toumbourou, G Youssef
(2017), Vol. 51, pp. 109-124, Clinical psychology review, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
K Guo, G Youssef, A Dawson, L Parkes, S Oostermeijer, C Lpez-Sol, V Lorenzetti, C Greenwood, L Fontenelle, M Ycel
(2017), Vol. 67, pp. 26-33, Addictive behaviors, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Parkinson's disease alters multisensory perception: insights from the Rubber Hand Illusion
C Ding, C Palmer, J Hohwy, G Youssef, B Paton, N Tsuchiya, J Stout, D Thyagarajan
(2017), Vol. 97, pp. 38-45, Neuropsychologia, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
D Smart, G Youssef, A Sanson, M Prior, J Toumbourou, C Olsson
(2017), Vol. 87, pp. 288-308, British journal of educational psychology, Chichester, Eng., C1
Systematic review and meta-analysis of adolescent cognitive-behavioral sleep interventions
M Blake, L Sheeber, G Youssef, M Raniti, N Allen
(2017), Vol. 20, pp. 227-249, Clinical child and family psychology review, New York, N.Y., C1
Longitudinal bi-directional effects of disordered eating, depression and anxiety
F Puccio, M Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, G Youssef, S Mitchell, M Byrne, N Allen, I Krug
(2017), Vol. 25, pp. 351-358, European eating disorders review, Chichester, Eng., C1
J Lum, G Youssef, G Clark
(2017), Vol. 60, pp. 1648-1660, Journal of speech, language, and hearing research, Rockville, Md., C1
N Dowling, K Shandley, E Oldenhof, J Affleck, G Youssef, E Frydenberg, S Thomas, A Jackson
(2017), Vol. 26, pp. 707-712, American journal of addictions, Chichester, Eng., C1
P Miller, E Butler, B Richardson, P Staiger, G YOUSSEF, J MACDONALD, A Sanson, B Edwards, C Olsson
(2016), Vol. 35, pp. 317-325, Drug and alcohol review, London, Eng., C1
The effect of dual-task difficulty on the inhibition of the motor cortex
D Corp, M Rogers, G Youssef, A Pearce
(2016), Vol. 234, pp. 443-452, Experimental brain research, Berlin, Germany, C1
National estimates of Australian gambling prevalence : findings from a dual-frame omnibus survey
N Dowling, G Youssef, A Jackson, D Pennay, K Francis, A Pennay, D Lubman
(2016), Vol. 111, pp. 420-435, Addiction, Chichester, Eng., C1
Cognitive control as a moderator of temperamental motivations toward adolescent risk-taking behavior
G Youssef, S Whittle, N Allen, D Lubman, J Simmons, M Ycel
(2016), Vol. 87, pp. 395-404, Child development, Hoboken, N.J., C1
R Dixon, G Youssef, P Hasking, M Ycel, A Jackson, N Dowling
(2016), Vol. 58, pp. 42-46, Addictive behaviors, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
N Vijayakumar, N Allen, G Youssef, M Dennison, M Ycel, J Simmons, S Whittle
(2016), Vol. 37, pp. 2027-2038, Human brain mapping, London, Eng., C1
N Dowling, K Shandley, E Oldenhof, G Youssef, S Thomas, E Frydenberg, A Jackson
(2016), Vol. 59, pp. 12-17, Addictive behaviors, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
I Krug, R King, G Youssef, A Sorabji, E Wertheim, D Le Grange, E Hughes, P Letcher, C Olsson
(2016), Vol. 105, pp. 232-241, Appetite, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
B Lloyd, J Macdonald, G Youssef, T Knight, P Letcher, A Sanson, C Olsson
(2016), Vol. 69, pp. 121-129, Australian journal of psychology, Chichester, Eng., C1
Adolescent cannabis use: what is the evidence for functional brain alteration?
V Lorenzetti, S Alonso-Lana, G Youssef, A Verdejo-Garcia, C Suo, J Cousijn, M Takagi, M Ycel, N Solowij
(2016), Vol. 22, pp. 6353-6365, Current pharmaceutical design, Beijing, China, C1
M Ycel, S Whittle, G Youssef, H Kashyap, J Simmons, O Schwartz, D Lubman, N Allen
(2015), Vol. 15, pp. 108-123, International gambling studies, London, Eng, C1-1
J Simmons, M Byrne, O Schwartz, S Whittle, L Sheeber, M Kaess, G Youssef, N Allen
(2015), Vol. 57, pp. 670-687, Developmental psychobiology, London, Eng., C1-1
The relationship between problem gambling and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
O Waluk, G Youssef, N Dowling
(2015), Vol. In press, pp. 1-14, Journal of gambling studies, New York, N.Y., C1
E Silins, D Fergusson, G Patton, L Horwood, C Olsson, D Hutchinson, L Degenhardt, R Tait, R Borschmann, C Coffey, J Toumbourou, J Najman, R Mattick
(2015), Vol. 156, pp. 90-96, Drug and alcohol dependence, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Neuroimaging of the human brain in adolescent substance users
M Takagi, G Youssef, V Lorenzetti
(2015), pp. 69-99, Drug abuse in adolescence neurobiological, cognitive, and psychological issues, Cham, Switzerland, B1
K Little, C Olsson, G Youssef, S Whittle, J Simmons, M Ycel, L Sheeber, D Foley, N Allen
(2015), Vol. 124, pp. 834-849, Journal of abnormal psychology, Washington, D. C., C1
K Little, C Olsson, S Whittle, G Youssef, M Byrne, J Simmons, M Yucel, D Foley, N Allen
(2014), Vol. 4, pp. 1-8, Translational psychiatry, New York, N.Y., C1
S Hong, G Youssef, S Song, N Choi, J Ryu, B McDermott, V Cobham, S Park, J Kim, M Shin, H Yoo, S Cho, B Kim
(2014), Vol. 55, pp. 1226-1233, Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, London, Eng., C1-1
Inhibitory control in young adolescents: the role of sex, intelligence, and temperament
M Ycel, A Fornito, G Youssef, D Dwyer, S Whittle, S Wood, D Lubman, J Simmons, C Pantelis, N Allen
(2012), Vol. 26, pp. 347-356, Neuropsychology, Washington, D.C., C1-1
Funded Projects at Deakin
Australian Competitive Grants
The Intergenerational Origins of Social and Emotional Wellbeing
Prof Craig Olsson, Prof George Patton, Prof Robert Hancox, Prof Rob McGee, A/Prof Delyse Hutchinson, Dr George Youssef, Prof Jennifer Mcintosh, Dr Ella Iousa
ARC - Discovery Projects
- 2020: $27,977
- 2019: $27,420
- 2018: $45,548
Breaking the intergenerational cycle of mental disorder: A longitudinal study of the social determinants of childhood psychosocial adjustment problems
A/Prof Delyse Hutchinson, Prof Craig Olsson, Dr George Youssef, Prof Jakob Najman
Aust Rotary Health Research Fund Grant
- 2019: $65,292
- 2018: $65,292
Other Public Sector Funding
Transitioning into and out of low or moderate risk gambling: Sociodemographic, gambling-related harm motivation and change profiles
Dr Stephanie Merkouris, A/Prof Nicki Dowling, Dr George Youssef, Dr Simone Rodda
- 2019: $6,000
- 2018: $10,091
- 2017: $33,828
Experiences and perceptions of gamblers using gambling, mental health and alcohol and other drug use online forums: A natural language processing approach
Dr Stephanie Merkouris, A/Prof Nicki Dowling, Dr George Youssef, Dr Simone Rodda
- 2019: $34,597
- 2018: $9,885
The development and evaluation of just-in-time intervention apps to reduce gambling harm: Providing ¿in-the-moment¿ support for gamblers
A/Prof Nicki Dowling, Dr Simone Rodda, Prof Dan Lubman, Dr Stephanie Merkouris, Dr George Youssef, Mr Leon Young, Ms Anna Goldfelder
- 2019: $262,160
Industry and Other Funding
The identification of protective factors in the development of problem gambling using a socio-ecological framework: A systematic review and meta-analysis
A/Prof Nicki Dowling, Prof John Toumbourou, Dr Stephanie Merkouris, Dr George Youssef
- 2015: $29,743
Supervisions
Declan Bourke
Thesis entitled: Predictors and moderators of treatment efficacy for childhood disruptive behaviours
Doctor of Psychology (Clinical), School of Psychology
Genevieve Le Bas
Thesis entitled: Maternal Bonding and Negative Affect: Association with Infant Social-Emotional Development
Doctor of Psychology (Clinical), School of Psychology
Anna Booth
Thesis entitled: Predicting Parental Sensitivity: Contextual Stress Exposure Across Preconception to Parenthood
Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology), School of Psychology
Diana Frances Smart
Thesis entitled: Childhood reading difficulties and behaviour problems: Inter-relationships and consequences
Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology), School of Psychology
Laura Marie Di Manno
Thesis entitled: Variation in Depression Outcomes among Young People from Dissolved Families
Doctor of Psychology (Clinical), School of Psychology