Lynn Gerald, PhD, MSPH, professor of health promotion sciences and the Canyon Ranch Endowed Chair at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Thoracic Society for her asthma research.

The award is given to an individual who has provided outstanding service relevant to the behavioral or social aspects of the prevention or treatment of lung diseases, critical illness or sleep disorders.

Dr. Gerald is a nationally known expert in the area of school based asthma including the implementation of asthma management programs, school based asthma case detection, and internet based asthma monitoring. In addition, she has extensive experience in the areas of clinical, behavioral and epidemiological research in asthma, COPD, and tuberculosis.

Gerald currently leads two clinically focused school-based asthma programs in 38 elementary schools in the Sunnyside Unified School District and the Tucson Unified School District.

She is actively involved in professional and community education related to asthma and has served on many national and local boards including the American Thoracic Society Board of Directors and the American Lung Association of Southern Arizona Board of Directors. She currently serves as principal investigator of the UA Asthma Clinical Research Center. Gerald has also served on many thesis and dissertation committees and mentored many graduate students, fellows and junior faculty in the development of research programs.