Dr. Kady Lyons, Research Scientist
As a research scientist for Georgia Aquarium, Dr. Kady Lyons work focuses on better understanding elasmobranch (shark, skate and ray) biology that can be used to inform conservation efforts. With her expertise and experience spanning across many fields, including wildlife toxicology, she describes herself as an ecological physiologist. Dr. Lyons is interested in uncovering how the underpinnings of a species’ biology informs how it will interact and use its environment.
Before joining Georgia Aquarium in 2019, Dr. Lyons completed her postdoctoral training at California State University Long Beach after finishing her Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of Calgary, where her dissertation focused on quantifying the negative impacts of man-made chemicals on elasmobranch species using the Round Stingray as a model. She also has a Master’s in Biology from California State University Long Beach and began her upper educational training at the University of California Santa Cruz through a Bachelor’s in Marine Biology.
At the Aquarium, Dr. Lyons works on a range of projects from understanding how various chemical tools can be used to elucidate a species’ ecology and physiology that can be applied to inform species conservation. Dr. Lyons is able to perform this work partnering with various institutions that span across academia, government and the private sector.
Dr. Lyons plays an active role in the scientific community by continuing to publish scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and present at national and international conferences in the fields of ecology and physiology. Dr. Lyons dedicates service time to the American Elasmobranch Society (a professional society for elasmobranch scientists) as a member of the Board of Directors through 2024, of which she has been active member since starting graduate school.
Dr. Lyons passion for marine-based research is anchored in her southern Californian roots and many trips to the beach playing in tide pools, snorkeling and scuba diving from a young age.