Dr. Jens Pruessner began his graduate studies at Trier University in Germany in psychoendocrinology and psychoneuroendocrinology. Continuing his postgraduate studies at McGill University (Douglas Mental Health University Institute and the Montreal Neurological Institute), he specialized in neuroimaging techniques.

Focusing his attention on studying stress, Dr. Pruessner and his team developed and validated the mental arithmetic task for stress induction, the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST), derived from the Trier Mental Challenge Test. They have since employed the task in functional magnetic resonance imaging studies, investigating the effects of stress on brain activation changes in real time.

Appointed assistant professor at McGill University, Dr. Pruessner has taught various courses in the Departments of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neurology & Neurosurgery.

He has been a member of the International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology since 2004, the International Society of Behavioral Neuroscience since 2002, and the Society for Neuroscience since 2001.

In 1998, Dr. Pruessner received the Postdoctoral Fellow Award and Stipend, and the University of Trier Alumni Group PhD Award. The Centre for Psychobiological and Psychosomatic Research in Trier, Germany awarded him the Innovation Award in 1997. In addition, his personal support awards consist of the five-year New Investigator Award (2005), and two two-year awards: Chercheur-boursier Junior (2002), and Young Investigator (2000). Finally, Dr. Pruessner is the recipient of the 2008 Curt Richter Young Investigator Award of the International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology.

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