The College of Nursing’s Debra Lyon, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FNAP, FAAN, was selected as a University of Florida Research Foundation Professor for 2024.
“UFRF Professors earn significant grants, publish in the leading journals in their field, hold university leadership positions and contribute to the university in countless other ways,” said David Norton, UF’s vice president for research.
Lyon, a professor and the Thomas M. and Irene B. Kirbo endowed chair, was among 34 UF professors selected for the honor based on their distinguished research record and strong research agenda.
“I am humbled by my selection to such a group of gifted and talented researchers. It is an honor. Thank you to the foundation for the recognition and all the work they do to advance research at the University of Florida,” Lyon said.
Lyon’s research focuses on symptom management in women with breast cancer and other chronic illnesses, including chronic venous leg ulcers. Lyon has contributed to more than 200 scientific publications and presentations, and she has served as a principal investigator or co-investigator on more than $10 million in research grants and contracts from organizations such as the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society. She has been the editor-in-chief of Oncology Nursing Forum since 2020. She has mentored many students and faculty and has received multiple national and international awards for her research productivity. The Kirbo chair was established to attract a dynamic scholar whose research focuses on cancer care. She has served multiple leadership roles at the college, including executive associate dean and interim dean, since her hire in 2014.