Dr. Kelly Lyons has been associated with the IETF since 1997, when the founder and then president of the organization, the late William Koller, MD, approached her because of her research interests in essential tremor while at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC), Kansas City, KS.

“It is  important to me to work with persons with ET to better understand the disorder and focus my research in a direction that would be most beneficial to them,” Lyons said.

While serving on the Board, Lyons has witnessed great changes within the organization.

“I have watched the IETF grow substantially in all respects,” she said, “including in the areas of educational materials development, research funding, public outreach, and collaboration with other organizations and foundations to accomplish goals.”

Lyons has been president of the Board since 2008. Her personal goals as president include “supporting and encouraging the excellent work of the IETF executive director and staff, increasing awareness of ET within the general public, and collaborating with other national and international ET researchers.”

Currently, Lyons is the Research Professor of Neurology and director of research and education for the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Center at University of Kansas Medical Center. Her work focuses on clinical care, research and education for persons with ET, Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to be president of the IETF, and proud to be part of an organization that has provided invaluable support and education to help improve the quality of life for so many persons with ET, and that has also been able to fund important research projects to help move us closer to finding a cure,”  Lyons said.