March 4, 2009

Lynn B. Gerald, MA, PhD, MSPH, has been appointed as the Canyon Ranch Endowed Chair in Lifestyle and Behavioral Health and as a professor of Public Health at The University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health (MEZCOPH).  Dr. Gerald joins MEZCOPH's Health Promotion Sciences (HPS) division.  The Canyon Ranch Endowed Chair in Lifestyle and Behavioral Health was established by Mel and Enid Zuckerman in 1998 to support an integrated community prevention and health promotion program, and is a position designed for an academic leader such as Dr. Gerald. Mel and Enid Zuckerman are the founders of the Canyon Ranch Resorts and Hotels, which promote healthy lifestyles.

Prior to joining MEZCOPH, Dr. Gerald was the director of the Lung Health Center and was also a professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.   She received her Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1990, and a master's degree (MA) in Sociology from the University of South Alabama in 1992. In 1997, Dr. Gerald received her doctorate (PhD) in Medical Sociology and a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) degree in Epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

 “I could not be more pleased that Dr. Gerald has agreed to join the College.  I believe that she is just what we need to build on our achievements of recent years and to bring the College to even higher levels of accomplishment,” said Iman Hakim, MD, PhD, MPH, dean of the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health. 

Of her appointment, Dr. Gerald said, “I am excited about joining the faculty of the College and continuing my community-based studies in pediatric asthma.  I am honored to be part of the College and look forward to working with both the College and the Arizona Respiratory Center.” 

Research Interests

Dr. Gerald’s research interests include research in asthma, cardiopulmonary disease (COPD) and tuberculosis (TB).  She is currently the principal investigator of two funded National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute R01 federal grants.  One research study examines the effectiveness of a school-based program investigating the use of hand sanitizer and its effects on the frequency and severity of asthma attacks in elementary school children.  Dr. Gerald is investigating whether limiting the spread of germs from hand-to-hand contact between all children in a school helps reduce asthma problems. The other research study uses a special computer model that Dr. Gerald developed to simulate how tuberculosis is transmitted from person to person.   She is using this model to determine what types of contact with tuberculosis patients are likely to infect a healthy person.

Dr. Gerald is also the principal investigator of an American Lung Association Asthma Clinical Research Center (ACRC).  This network of facilities does research using large clinical trials (studies that involve patients) which provide useful information important to the direct care of people who have asthma. Each study is designed to answer scientific questions about the nature of asthma and to find better ways to prevent, diagnose or treat the disease. The ACRC network is the largest of its kind conducting clinical trials involving large numbers of patients.  Twenty clinical centers and a data coordinating center are participating in this unique and important role.

Awards and Honors

Dr. Gerald has served on many national and local boards including the American Thoracic Society's Scientific and Clinical Careers in Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Task Force and the National Asthma Educator Certification Board.  Honors for Dr. Gerald's research include:

• A prestigious nomination for the American Thoracic Society’s Elizabeth A. Rich Award for outstanding scientific achievement among female scientists in pulmonary disease
• The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine’s Max Cooper Award for Research Excellence (2006) and
• The American Thoracic Society Behavioral Science Assembly’s Junior Scholar Award (2003)

Welcome to MEZCOPH, Dr. Gerald!

Please send corrections or comments to mckibben@email.arizona.edu.
Written by L. McKibben. Photo of Dr. Gerald: Loretta McKibben, UA-MEZCOPH..