Distinguished Professor, Southern Methodist University
Distinguished Scientist, Center for Brain Health, UT Dallas
President and CEO, Synergistic Education Solutions

Over the past 30 years, Dr. Lyon has contributed as a researcher, professor, classroom teacher, special education teacher, school psychologist, and leader in the development of evidence-based education policy at the federal and state levels. Dr. Lyon founded Synergistic Education Solutions, an educational resource that provides consulting services to improve educational research in January 2008. He held the position of the Executive Vice President for Research and Evaluation at Higher Ed Holdings in Dallas, Texas from 2005 to 2008. From 1992 until 2005, Dr. Lyon served as a research psychologist and the Chief of the Child Development and Behavior Branch within the National Institute of Child health and Human Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he was responsible for the direction, development and management of research programs in developmental and cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, behavioral pediatrics, reading development and disabilities, learning disabilities, early childhood development, and school readiness.

While at the National Institute of Health, Dr. Lyon also worked closely with the White House, the U.S. Department of Education, and Congress on the development of education policies.  He also served as an advisor on education research and policies to President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush from 2001 until 2005. He was a member of the President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education. In 2006, Dr. Lyon was named one of the ten most influential people in American education during the last decade by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center (Education Week).

Dr. Lyon received his Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in 1978 with a dual concentration in Special Education (learning disabilities and disorders) and psychology (developmental neuropsychology). He served on the faculties of the University of Alabama - Birmingham (Special Education and Educational Psychology), Northwestern University (Communication Science and Disorders) and the University of Vermont School Of Medicine (Neurology). He also taught in the public schools as a third grade classroom teacher, a special education teacher and a school psychologist in several states. He authored, co-authored and edited more than 130 peer reviewed journal articles, books, and book chapters addressing educational policy and learning differences and disabilities in children and adolescents.  Dr. Lyon has appeared on NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and National Public Radio to discuss issues relevant to education, child development, and educational research and policies.