Debra Lerner, PhD, MS

Tufts CTSI Associate Director; Director of Organizational Impact; Director, Program on Health, Work, and Productivity
Tufts CTSI; Tufts Medical Center; ICRHPS

Dr. Debra Lerner is passionate about reducing the human and economic burden of illness and disability and translating research results into evidence-based workplace policies and practices that enable all adults to remain productive throughout their lives. She is a recognized expert on health and work productivity, workplace mental health and survey research, whose major accomplishments include developing the Be Well at Work program for employees with depression, and the Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ), which is used in research and evaluation worldwide.

Dr. Lerner has been principal investigator on studies to develop employer and employee strategies to purchase high-value, patient-centered health care; improve workplace and community supports for family caregivers; and leverage the workplace to improve employee and family mental health. Currently, she co-leads the employer initiatives for the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers Working While Caring Program, and serves on the National Alliance for Caregiving/AARP Steering Committee planning the 2025 Caregiving in the US survey.

Dr. Lerner has authored over 80 refereed publications and is the recipient of the prestigious Mark Dundon Research Award from the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), and President’s Award from the Institute of Health and Productivity Management (IHPM). She holds appointments as professor in the Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine.