Dr. Lyons’ long-standing research focuses on domestic cat genetics, particularly developing biomedical models. Her genetic interests are broad, not focusing on any one disease, including various health concerns and all organs systems. Her laboratory has identified over 30 mutations in over 25 genes including 21 diseases, cat AB / B blood type (2) and recently 2 diseases in wild felids. Dr. Lyons launched the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Initiative – an effort to have deep coverage on cats with inherited diseases and as a SNP resource for the community. During her tenure at the NCI, she worked closely with theriogenologists to produce a feline interspecies backcross between domestic cats and Asian Leopard cats (Bengal cats) as a gene mapping resource, which are now useful for phasing of whole genome assemblies. She continues to support assisted reproduction studies in cats and she has cryopreserved many cat biomedical models. Dr. Lyons works closely with veterinarians to firstly define genetic diseases. The veterinarians and clinicians then become partners in the genetic studies. She typically collaborates with veterinarians and clinicians around the world and publishes in veterinary and genetics journals and especially journals that focus on organ systems. Specific diseases remain of high priority, including polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and heritable blindness. She looks forward to developing drug and gene therapies and translational efforts, for one or more of these abnormalities to better develop the cat as an animal model for human disease. At UC Davis, Dr. Lyons had a partial research position at the California National Primate Research Center, producing 13 manuscripts via independent and collaborative studies. She has produced seven publications on forensics, over a dozen papers with significant disease defining and clinical components, six projects supporting reproductive studies, worked with over ten different species and analyzed mtDNA from cat mummies as part of a National Geographic Explore production – The Science of Cats.