Professor Emeritus
The following is the Department’s tribute to Professor Lyons upon his retirement.
Dr. Lyons joined the clinical faculty in 1986. He has a 1982 PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Louisville. His clinical internship was completed at Yale University and he completed a post-doctoral fellowship in psychiatric epidemiology at Columbia University. His general interests are in psychiatric epidemiology and behavioral and psychiatric genetics. His research focuses on genetic influences on psychopathology, substance abuse, and aging.
He is currently principal investigator on the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA) supported by a grant from NIA. In this study, twins who served in the military during the Vietnam War are administered a comprehensive protocol that includes MRI, sensory functioning, relevant biomedical characteristics, psychosocial functioning, neuro-endocrine status, and genotyping; the primary emphasis of the study is on cognitive functioning (including the re-administration of a measure of general cognitive ability that was administered at the time these men entered the military 30 to 40 years ago).
Previously Dr. Lyons was the principal investigator on a family study of schizophrenia funded by NIMH and a twin study of alcohol abuse funded by NIAAA. Dr. Lyons teaches Advanced Psychopathology and Abnormal Psychology. He is a fellow and an officer of the American Psychopathological Association and Associate Editor of the journal, Behavior Genetics. He is also Chief of Twin Research at the Harvard Institute of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Genetics.
The following is a personal reflection provided by Professor Lyons.
I came to BU in 1986. It has been an ideal professional home for me for the past 37 years. I have been extremely fortunate to work with extraordinary colleagues and many wonderful students. I was the second non-psychoanalytic clinical psychologist hired by the department (Doug McNair had arrived from BU Medical School a few years earlier to direct the clinical psychology program). During the time that I have been here the university has made great strides.
I have had many outstanding faculty colleagues, a number of whom I expect will remain good friends for the rest of my life. I have always enjoyed teaching both undergraduate and graduate classes. I feel fortunate to teach classes about psychopathology because it lends itself so well to telling stories. Based on formal and informal feedback from students, my stories were usually the students’ favorite thing about the courses that I taught. I would dread teaching a course for which stories didn’t fit.
Being a professor is a wonderful way in which to interact with undergraduate students. Listening to students and sharing one’s own experience and advice is very gratifying. It is an asymmetric relationship, however, because, even though it was many years ago, I still remember what it was like to be college student. For the students, I am in some ways an alien lifeform. I don’t think it is quite possible for them to put themselves in my shoes – but that’s okay – they have plenty of time to get here. It is very interesting to interact with our graduate students. I see them entering the academic life as I am leaving it. It helps to put one’s life in perspective. I wish them the great good fortune to have a career that they find as rewarding and gratifying as I have found mine.
During the 37 years that I have been at BU the students have remained 19 while I have grown old. While most of the time I don’t feel old, acquiring aches and pains and losing energy and agility make aging undeniable. However, I am happy and excited looking forward to spending more time with my wonderful wife, Kathleen, with my three children and two granddaughters. Life is good!
The following is Professor Lyons’s original faculty profile.
Director: Center for Clinical Biopsychology
Dr. Lyons joined the clinical faculty in 1986. He has a 1982 PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Louisville. His clinical internship was completed at Yale University and he completed a post-doctoral fellowship in psychiatric epidemiology at Columbia University. His general interests are in psychiatric epidemiology and behavioral and psychiatric genetics. His research focuses on genetic influences on psychopathology, substance abuse, and aging.
He is currently principal investigator on the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA) supported by a grant from NIA. In this study, twins who served in the military during the Vietnam War are administered a comprehensive protocol that includes MRI, sensory functioning, relevant biomedical characteristics, psychosocial functioning, neuro-endocrine status, and genotyping; the primary emphasis of the study is on cognitive functioning (including the re-administration of a measure of general cognitive ability that was administered at the time these men entered the military 30 to 40 years ago).
Previously Dr. Lyons was the principal investigator on a family study of schizophrenia funded by NIMH and a twin study of alcohol abuse funded by NIAAA. Dr. Lyons teaches Advanced Psychopathology and Abnormal Psychology. He is a fellow and an officer of the American Psychopathological Association and Associate Editor of the journal, Behavior Genetics. He is also Chief of Twin Research at the Harvard Institute of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Genetics.