[10] Following his PhD on epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in mammalian development, Lumsden's interest moved to the question of how integumental structures, such as teeth and vibrissae acquire their nerve supply, and how the cranial neural crest contributes to their patterning.

Studies on the development of the trigeminal nerve and ganglion led on to observations of the organisation of their corresponding motor and sensory regions of the central nervous system.

His seminal observations and experiments on the developing hindbrain of mammal and bird embryos confirmed the long suggested but never agreed view that this brain region has a rigidly segmented organisation, much like the body plan of insects and worms.

[11][12] Most recently, he has focussed on the developing forebrain, where he discovered signalling properties in a small set of cells that pattern the large surrounding region of the thalamus.

[citation needed] In 2001, he was awarded The Ferrier Lecture and medal by the Royal Society[1][13] and in 2007, the W. Maxwell Cowan Prize[14] for "outstanding contributions in developmental neuroscience".