Lubin received her BA, Magna Cum Laude, from Harvard University; her PhD from Oxford University; studied at the Universities of Leningrad and Moscow (1974-75); and was one of the first westerners to conduct a year of doctoral research in Uzbekistan (1978-79). The main focus of her work has been exploring corruption, and the informal economic and political systems in these countries, and advising governments, corporations and individuals in successfully navigating them.