Dr. Varna spent the past 20 years studying how we can all benefit from the wellspring of optimism and reap its benefits, even if you are the glass-half-empty-type. Dr. Sue Varma is a board-certified psychiatrist and an award-winning national medical contributor for major news outlets. She is a clinical assistant professor of Psychiatry at New York University (NYU) Langone Health and teaches medical students and residents.