Sarah D. Pressman

Dr. Sarah Pressman is an award-winning Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education at the University of California, Irvine, where she directs the Stress, Emotion, and Physical Health (STEP) Laboratory. A health psychologist and positive psychology researcher, her work examines how positive emotions, social relationships, and other aspects of psychological well-being influence physical health, stress resilience, and longevity.

Much of Dr. Pressman’s research asks how positive psychological experiences “get under the skin” to influence biology. Her experimental work has examined pathways including immune function, cardiovascular activity, neuroendocrine responses, health behaviors, and even smiling. She is particularly interested in why some forms of positive emotion may be more beneficial than others and how positive experiences can protect people from the psychological and physiological consequences of stress. Her current research increasingly focuses on **vitality, vigor, and human energy**, including what makes people feel energized, how vitality influences behavior and health, and the psychological and biological processes that may underlie these experiences.

Dr. Pressman is co-editor of the APA book *More Activities for Teaching Positive Psychology: A Guide for Instructors* and is currently co-editing the forthcoming APA volume *Activities for Teaching Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine*. She is also writing a trade book exploring the science of vitality and how people can cultivate more energy in their everyday lives.

Her honors include the Society for Health Psychology’s Excellence in Health Psychology Mentoring Award, the American Psychosomatic Society’s Herbert Weiner Early Career Award, and the American Psychological Association Division 38 Outstanding Contributions to Health Psychology Award. Her research has been published in leading psychology and health journals and featured in outlets including *The New York Times*, *The Wall Street Journal*, and *The Colbert Report*.

Dr. Pressman received her PhD in Social, Personality, and Health Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.