She received her MS and PhD from Carnegie Mellon University in Social, Personality & Health Psychology, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Pressman seeks to understand how positive emotions are beneficial for objective physical health and the possible mechanisms by which positive feelings “get under the skin” to influence biology. To date, these have included immune, cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, and behavioral pathways. Dr. Pressman is especially interested in the role of positive psychosocial factors in buffering negative stress processes. Dr. Pressman has received numerous awards for her work included the 2014 Early Career Award in Health Psychology from APA’s Division 38, and the 2015 Early Career from the American Psychosomatic Society.