Dr John Lyons - Alumni Award Winner 2019 for Engineering, Science and Technology

Dr John Lyons PhD is a chemist, molecular biologist, healthcare executive and a globally recognised expert in cancer drug discovery. A 1979 graduate John joined Cetus Corporation (the world’s first biotechnology company) and participated in the start of a revolution in DNA-based diagnostics.

At Cetua he identified a novel oncogene and became a leader in drug discovery and cancer therapeutics. In 2003 he moved to Astex Pharmaceuticals where he is now Senior Vice President of Translational Research with responsibility for the development of translational strategies for oncology programmes. John’s career has been dedicated to finding new treatments for cancer patients and his association with 4 marketed drugs puts him amongst the elite of the industry.