Max B. Lyons is a PhD candidate in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry on the Organic track. He joined the Conway group in 2026, where he is developing methylarginine targeting chimeras (MrTACs) — heterobifunctional small molecules that induce targeted protein degradation via lysosomes.

Originally from Berkeley, California, Max earned his A.B. in Chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis in 2016. Before joining the Conway Group, Max worked in industry in the San Francisco Bay area, developing next-gen battery separators and high-performance biomaterials, and helped invent a method for  biocatalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of unactivated alkenes with the Athavale Group at UCLA.

Outside the lab, Max enjoys surfing, backpacking, playing soccer, and riding motorcycles.