Benjamin Lerman, MS, MD
Adjunct Instructor, Dept. of Pediatrics, UCSF
Research Summary
Dr. Benjamin Lerman is a pediatric hematologist-oncologist who cares for children, adolescents and young adults with a variety of cancers. He has a special interest in neuroblastoma, a cancer that begins in immature nerve cells and is one of the most common solid tumors affecting children. As a member of UCSF's early-phase clinical trials team, he cares for patients enrolled in studies evaluating new treatments for tumors that recurred after the initial therapy.
In two different settings, Lerman conducts research focused on neuroblastoma: In the clinic, he focuses on identifying which patients with difficult-to-treat tumors are most likely to respond to specific therapies. In the lab, he applies genomics (information about a patient's entire set of genes and how they interact with their environment) to look for new ways to attack cancer cells and new combinations of medicines that can make existing treatments more effective.
Lerman earned his medical degree at Stanford University, where he also earned a master's degree in epidemiology and clinical research. He completed a residency in general pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a fellowship in pediatric hematology-oncology at UCSF.
Education
- BS, 2014
Stanford University, Biology - MS, 2019
Stanford University School of Medicine, Epidemiology & Clinical Research - MD, 2019
Stanford University School of Medicine - Residency, 2022
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Pediatrics - Fellowship, 2025
University of California San Francisco, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Honors & Awards
- 2025 - present
Campini Foundation Award - 2023 - present
Alex's Lemonade Stand Centers of Excellence Scholar - 2024-25
FDA-AACR Oncology Education Fellow - 2022
Outstanding Achievement in Childhood Advocacy, Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania - 2017
American College of Physicians Young Achiever Award
Selected Publications
Lerman BJ, Li Y, Carlowicz C, Granger M, Cash T, Sadanand A, Somers K, Ranavaya A, Weiss BD, Choe M, Foster JH, Pinto N, Morgenstern DA, Rafael MS, Streby KA, Zeno RN, Mody R, Yazdani S, Desai AV, Macy ME, Shusterman S, Federico SM, Bagatell R. Progression-Free Survival and Patterns of Response in Patients With Relapsed High-Risk Neuroblastoma Treated With Irinotecan/Temozolomide/Dinutuximab/Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor. J Clin Oncol. 2023 Jan 20;41(3):508-516. View on PubMed.
Lerman BJ, Popat RA, Assimes TL, Heidenreich PA, Wren SM. Association Between Heart Failure and Postoperative Mortality Among Patients Undergoing Ambulatory Noncardiac Surgery. JAMA Surg. 2019 Oct 1;154(10):907-914. View on PubMed.
Lerman BJ, Popat RA, Assimes TL, Heidenreich PA, Wren SM. Association of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction and Symptoms With Mortality After Elective Noncardiac Surgery Among Patients With Heart Failure. JAMA. 2019 Feb 12;321(6):572-579. View on PubMed.
Lin JK, Lerman BJ, Barnes JI, Boursiquot BC, Tan YJ, Robinson AQL, Davis KL, Owens DK, Goldhaber-Fiebert JD. Cost Effectiveness of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy in Relapsed or Refractory Pediatric B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. J Clin Oncol. 2018 Nov 10;36(32):3192-3202. View on PubMed.