Board Vice President Dr. Lauren Tyra

Dr. Lauren Tyra was elected to serve her first term on the Plano ISD Board of Trustees in May of 2021. She is a product of Plano public schools, having attended Christie Elementary, Harrington Elementary, Carpenter Middle School, Clark High School and Plano East Senior High.  

After graduating from Plano East, Dr. Tyra attended the University of North Texas, where she double majored in Biology and German. She subsequently earned a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where she was heavily involved in student leadership, led science fair outreach and was a National Science Foundation Fellow. Dr. Tyra is a published scientific author, with publications in the Journal of Cell Biology, eLife and Developmental Cell. She is now the chief scientific officer of a local venture capital firm that specializes in healthcare and life science startups.  

Dr. Tyra and her husband, also a product of Plano ISD schools, are raising two children in Plano. They are members of the PTA at their children’s Plano ISD elementary school. As a family, they are active in Scouting and volunteer work in the Plano community.