Leslie Lyons
University of Missouri - Columbia, College of Veterinary Medicine
Columbia, MO United States

Term of service (1st 2023-2025)

Dr. Leslie Lyons was trained in human genetics at the University of Pittsburgh and her postdoctoral fellowship focused on developing genetic resources for comparative gene mapping across mammalian species while at the National Cancer Institute. Her research is currently primarily focused on heritable diseases and traits and the population dynamics of the domestic cat. Specific diseases remain of high priority, including polycystic kidney disease (PKD), skin abnormalities, structural defects, and heritable blindness. Her early studies involved assisted reproduction to produce F1 and backcross cats between domestics and Asian leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) and she continues to work with theriogenologists to preserve the biomedical model through gamete cryopreservation. Dr. Lyons has also supported the community by providing DNA studies for the first cloned domestic cat, wildcat, and Sand Cat, and the GFP transgenic cat. Her laboratory has identified nearly 50 mutations in over 20 genes including many diseases, several coat colors, several fur types, and cat AB / B blood type. Her work on phenotypic traits has helped cat breeders become more efficient with their breeding programs, leading to improved feline welfare. Studies in cat population genetics have defined the genetic relationship of the breeds and the distinction of random bred cat populations, supporting the Near East as the major domestication site of the cat. Studies in ancient DNA of mummified cats suggested modern cats of Egypt are descendants of the cats of the pharaohs. Dr. Lyons launched the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Initiative – an effort to have deep coverage sequencing of cats with inherited diseases and as a DNA variant resource for the community. She continues to the development of needed genomic resources for the cat, including DNA panels for cat identification and parentage, the 63K DNA array for the cat, a new high-density array, exome capture arrays and new cat genome assemblies. The Geoffroy’s cat and Asian Leopard cats produced as a gene mapping resources have now been used to produced haploid-based phased genome assemblies of all three species, including the new reference assemble for the domestic cat. Dr. Lyons has 3 patents and over 195 peer-reviewed publications, including several in forensic journals. One recent work demonstrated Precision Medicine in domestic cats. Her work on cat population genetics was developed into a National Geographic Explorer episode “The Science of Cats” and she has worked with the BBC on several cat television productions, including most recently “Cat Tales”.

Dr. Lyons has been a member of ISAG for over 25 years and supported the introduction of genomics and applied genetics for cats into the ISAG workshops. She has been a long-standing member and chair of Applied Genetics in Companion Animals workshop and now an honorary member. Currently she is a member of the Forensics workshop and is helping to develop a new workshop focused on the standardization of genetic testing in animals. She has strong interactions with commercial animal genetic testing laboratories as many of her tests are offered to the cat breeding community. Via cat genetic tests, several genetic diseases in cats are now near eradication, including the once very common polycystic kidney disease and blindness in Persians, hypokalemia in Burmese, “spasticity” in Devon Rex / Sphynx and blindness in Bengal cats. She routinely publishes in the society journal, Animal Genetics, and looks forward to developing new ideas to improve and expand the journal and the overall animal genetics society. Dr. Lyons is also a member of the organizing committee and the Cat and Dog genetics sessions for the Plant and Animal Genomics (PAG) meeting.