Jennifer Lerman, PhD, MPH, RDN, is a program management analyst in the Health Behaviors Research Branch (HBRB) of the Behavioral Research Program (BRP). In this role, she assists in program responsibilities related to population monitoring and assessment of food and nutrient intakes, methods to facilitate nutritional epidemiology, and evidence to support nutrition policy. She participates in HBRB activities such as the update of the Healthy Eating Index, the maintenance of the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24), and the upkeep of several measures registries. Her interest areas include dietary assessment, dietary guidance and public health, and maternal and child health and nutrition.
Dr. Lerman’s current research includes the identification of factors associated with the trajectory of diet quality in infants and toddlers in the United States, as well as the exploration of methodological solutions for utilizing dietary indices to track diet quality longitudinally over time.
Dr. Lerman first joined this division as a Cancer Research Training Award fellow in 2016. Prior to her fellowship, she completed a practicum internship for her MPH in the Office of Nutrition Research at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). In addition, Dr. Lerman has worked as a neonatal dietitian and an adult oncologic dietitian in several clinical settings. Her work as a dietitian has often included a focus on nutrition education to adult and pediatric populations in addressing a wide variety of medical needs.
Selected Publications and Presentations
- Herrick KA, Lerman JL. Evolution of Dietary Diversity: Further Consideration of Contextual and Multidimensional Features. Adv Nutr. 2024;15(9):100284. doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100284
- Lerman JL, Herrick KA, Pannucci TE, et al. Evaluation of the Healthy Eating Index-Toddlers-2020. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2023;123(9):1307-1319. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2023.05.014
- Pannucci TE, Lerman JL, Herrick KA, et al. Development of the Healthy Eating Index-Toddlers-2020. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2023;123(9):1289-1297. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2023.05.013
- Shams-White MM, Pannucci TE, Lerman JL, et al. Healthy Eating Index-2020: Review and Update Process to Reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans,2020-2025. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2023;123(9):1280-1288. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2023.05.015
- Herrick KA, Lerman JL, Pannucci TE, et al. Continuity, Considerations, and Future Directions for the Healthy Eating Index-Toddlers-2020. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2023;123(9):1298-1306. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2023.05.012