#  Jennifer Lerner 

Thornton F. Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy, Management, and Decision Science

 

 

 



   ![Professor lerner headshot](/sites/g/files/omnuum8861/files/styles/hwp_4_5__320x400/public/2026-08/J.Lerner.2018.square.SAM_0607.jpg?itok=OnmMRqNg) 

 



 

 laptop\_windows [Learn more about Professor Lerner](https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/jennifer-lerner) 

 

 



 

Preventable harms such as heat illness and financial fraud threaten people’s health and financial security every year. To mitigate these harms, governments issue warnings and offer assistance programs to residents, but these efforts often do not fully account for how people respond to warnings, perceive risks, and decide whether to act. Professor Lerner will collaborate with state and local policymakers to develop and test communication strategies and policy solutions that help people respond effectively to serious risks while sustaining public trust.