In an industry where advanced degrees and technical titles often take center stage, Laura Lyons brings something just as powerful to the table; lived experience, heart, and a relentless drive to make life better for patients.
Her journey didn’t start in a lab or lecture hall. It began at home, with her younger sister Cindy, who suffered a brain injury at birth. “That really started an entire cascade in our family of looking at medicine in a different way,” Laura recalls. “I wanted to find simple ways to manage conditions that don’t always require more and more medications.” That deeply personal motivation has shaped her entire career.
Laura started out in respiratory therapy at UT Health in Houston, but her path quickly expanded. She’s worked in pediatric home care, diagnostics, medtech startups, and regulatory affairs. Today, she’s the CEO of Vixiar Medical. Her path wasn’t always linear or conventional. In one instance, she agreed to run a CAPA system before she even knew what CAPA meant. This enthusiasm for taking on new challenges has been critical to expanding her expertise and making an impact in the medical device field.
Laura’s experience has spanned from early-stage start-ups to multinational corporations. Her leadership style is less about hierarchy and more about humanity. “True leadership isn’t micromanagement, I don't think it shows very much trust for my team” she says. “It’s about removing roadblocks, encouraging the heart, and creating a vision that people want to follow.” Lyons returns again and again to the human impact behind every decision. It always comes back to the patient.
One project especially close to her heart was SonarMed, a startup that developed an airway monitoring system for intubated infants. The device, which now belongs to Medtronic, uses soundwaves to ensure breathing tubes are correctly placed especially critical for fragile neonates.
Now, as CEO of Vixiar, she’s shepherding a device for heart failure patients that detects pulmonary congestion before it becomes clinically obvious a potential game-changer in reducing hospital readmissions. Since taking the lead, she has shepherded the device through a successful clinical study and is now preparing the second 510(k) submission, with FDA clearance pending.
Laura also serves on the board at VIC Tech, where she lends her experience to help early-stage health startups navigate the tricky path from concept to clinic. With her deep regulatory expertise and patient-centered mindset, she brings a practical, strategic voice to the table.
Laura Lyons has an unwavering sense of purpose and a deep understanding of what really matters in healthcare. Her story is a reminder that innovation doesn’t just come from labs or textbooks, it also comes from lived experience.