Dr. Lauren Tyra was elected to serve her second term on the Plano ISD Board of Trustees in May of 2025. She was elected by her fellow trustees to serve as president for the 2025-26 school year, and previously served as vice president of the board.

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, are raising two children in Plano schools. As a family, they are active in Scouting and enjoy hiking and camping.