Debra E. Lyon, Ph.D.

Professor of Biobehavioral Nursing Science and the Thomas M. and Irene B. Kirbo Endowed Chair

College of Nursing

2024 Awardee

After beginning her career with an emphasis on HIV disease, Debra Lyon eventually expanded her research to include oncology and venous leg ulcers. Throughout her prolific, 25-year career, Lyon’s scholarly pursuits have consistently received funding for innovative investigations into the biological underpinnings of patients’ subjective experiences across diverse populations. That work has included studying symptoms such as fatigue, depression, cognitive dysfunction and accelerated aging.

Lyon has held leading roles on numerous projects supported by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Nursing Research, the American Nurses Foundation, and the American Cancer Society. Notably, her consistent and substantive National Institutes of Health funding record has culminated in securing over $10 million in research grants since 2002. She has also contributed significantly as a senior co-investigator for junior colleagues and research teams nationwide.

Currently, Lyon is a multi-principal investigator for a $2.8 million National Institute for Nursing Research grant that is investigating biomarkers of pain and other symptoms in people with chronic venous leg ulcers. Beyond her scientific pursuits, Lyon is committed to mentorship — particularly for nurse-scientists in the southern U.S. — with an emphasis on fostering diversity and eradicating cancer health disparities.

Her research findings, exceeding 200 publications, have garnered more than 5,000 citations by other scientists. Lyon’s scientific eminence resulted in her appointment as the editor-in-chief of the Oncology Nursing Forum in 2020. Her recent accolades include the Southern Nursing Research Society Distinguished Professor award. Lyon was inducted into the Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame by nursing honor society Sigma Theta Tau International in 2022, a recognition of her sustained national and international impact on nursing research and its societal implications.

Shakira Henderson, dean of the College of Nursing, calls Lyon “an exceptional scientist, research leader, and faculty member.”