Michal Lyons combines professional expertise in planning and architecture with academic interests in urbanism and development, and is currently Professor of Urban Development, at London South Bank University.  Her research on urbanisation, migration, and livelihoods in developing countries focuses on issues of local economic development, poverty reduction and urban management and has been funded by DFID and ESRC. Her approach to research is interdisciplinary and applied, informed by a range of theoretical frameworks, as well as by a decade of professional architectural work in the housing field in several countries.

Her work has been published in international journals such as Environment and Planning A, Urban Studies, Housing Studies, and Habitat International, and she has contributed to numerous edited publications. In addition to engaging in academic debate, she is interested in policy and, particularly, praxis. She advises international NGOs and multilateral organizations in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and South Asia. Until recently, she directed World Jewish Aid, which funds development work in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe, taking full responsibility for managing and developing its successful post-Tsunami and Pakistan earthquake work, as well as its general development programme. She was also responsible for developing its inter-ethnic and inter-faith initiatives, and initatives within the Jewish community. She is on the international advisory boards of the journals City and Local Economy. She directs the social science PhD programme; chairs the university’s Higher Degrees sub-Committee for Economic and Social Research; and convenes the Developing Country research stream. Her country experience includes Brasil, China, Ghana, Kenya, Israel, Palestine, Pakistan, Portugal, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka.