Rene L. Olvera MD, MPH

TCMHCC Director

Rene L. Olvera MD, MPH is the Dielmann Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and has served UT Health in several leadership roles including the Psychiatry Clerkship Director to the Regional Academic Health Center from 2009-2018, Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2105-2018, Medical Director of Clarity Child Guidance outpatient psychiatric clinic 2015-2018, and Vice Chairman for Community Psychiatry, where his main focus was serving as the Chief Medical Officer to the Center for Health Care Services 2018 -2023. His research career was fostered after obtaining a HRSA, Hispanic Center of Excellence faculty development award, which was used to acquire a Master of Public Health degree. He leveraged experience in all phases of collaborative research to a twenty-year career with continuous research funding, focusing on endophenotypic characterization through neuroimaging in relation to mental disorders of public health significance. Dr. Olvera also has decades of experience as an educator serving as a lecturer and course director for our Child and Adolescent Psychiatry residents. His teaching is highly influenced by his experience in research, and he leads the Research design and statistics course, and chairs the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry resident journal club.  He has extensive clinical experience with vulnerable populations including sixteen years of work with juvenile offenders, and other community partners including Roy Mass Youth Alternatives, Clarity Child Guidance and the Center for Health Care Services.