[2] While serving in this role, Lerman studied the genetic influences on tobacco use and their implications for developing successful smoking prevention and treatment programs.
[5] In 2013, Lerman and colleague Robert Hornik received a federal grant to create the University of Pennsylvania's Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science.
The aim of the center was designed to conduct studies to inform the regulation of tobacco products to protect public health.
She explored how the brain’s cognitive control system could be enhanced to override behavioral habits that contribute to obesity and cancer risks.
[11] Lerman was also named a Top Women Leader in Health by the Los Angeles Business Journal.