Dr. Christopher Romero earned a combined MD/PhD degree from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. His dissertation work in the Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology investigated the phenomenon of immuno-modulation and its therapeutic potential for sepsis, which was supported by NIAID. During his tenure at UTMB, Dr. Romero was the recipient of the McLaughlin Fellowship, the Blocker Scholar Award, and multiple NSRF awards for his work in Immunology and Vaccine related research. He has completed the Intensive Course in Tropical and Travel Medicine through the UTMB Center for Tropical Diseases.

Dr. Romero is a graduate of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, California. At the end of his training at Scripps he was awarded the Edmund L. Keeney, MD Award for Leadership in Medicine, and the Charles and Virginia Feld Award for demonstrating humanistic qualities in Internal Medicine.

After residency training, Dr. Romero returned home to the Rio Grande Valley to practice medicine in one of the most underserved communities in the United States. As an attending physician his passion for education was recognized with numerous teaching awards. He has experience in treating emerging and neglected tropical infectious diseases along the border region including Zika, Chikungunya, Dengue, murine typhus, and Hansen’s Disease.

Dr. Romero went on to join the administration at Valley Baptist Medical Center (VBMC) where he oversaw the Medical Staff, Clinical Informatics, and Research departments. He was named the Physician of the Year in 2019 at VBMC. In this role he was instrumental in the response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, helping orchestrate the hospital response in collaboration with local, State, and Federal resources.

Dr. Romero joined PanAmerican Clinical Research, LLC as their Medical Director for USA Operations. He served as the Principal Investigator for multiple clinical trials, with a heavy focus on novel therapeutics for COVID-19 and Phase I-III vaccine trials. He also worked closely with the Public Health sector, and US-Mexico Border entities to facilitate mass vaccination efforts to combat COVID-19 in binational events.  Dr. Romero served on the steering committee of The Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard, where he contributed to efforts to expand inclusivity and diversity in clinical trials.

He is a member of multiple medical organizations and societies, including the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), and has been appointed as a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Romero serves as Principal Investigator at Headlands Research Brownsville, where he continues to focus on expanding diversity and inclusivity in clinical research and strives for excellence in the development of tomorrows therapeutics and vaccines.

Dr. Teresa Saavedra, DO, MS is an osteopathic physician in the area of Family Practice and Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine at her private practice, TruHealth Family Clinic and also serves as Principal Investigator at Headlands Research, both located in Brownsville, Texas. She graduated from University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science in 2003, a went on to obtain a master’s degree in Biomedical Science from Florida Atlantic University in 2006.

Dr. Saavedra’s medical training started at Nova Southeastern University, earning her a degree in Osteopathic Medicine in 2011. She went on to complete a four-year residency at Larkin Community Hospital, a premier psychiatric hospital in Miami-Dade County in South Miami, Florida, where she became Chief Resident in the department of Family Medicine and Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine. Having been exposed to Federally Qualified Health Centers during residency, her commitment for underserved populations moved to Texas, landing a position at Su Clinica Community Health Center, one of the top 3 community health centers nationally, where she served as Chief of Internal Medicine in 2019 prior to deciding to open her private practice.

Having over 11 years of diverse experience, Dr. Saavedra has a unique lens to which she views medicine, coming from a whole person approach and looking for health by uncovering the root cause of a disease process. As an osteopathic physician, she treats every patient she sees with a hands-on and functional approach to resolve musculoskeletal complaints as they relate to medical conditions. She also has a passion and focus on bariatric and obesity medicine, using a “treat first” approach to tackling one of nations most challenging initiatives in healthcare.

Dr. Saavedra has the ability to treat patients of all ages, from newborns to elderly, and enjoys keeping diversity and providing culturally sensitive care to all. She has interests in many areas, including preventive medicine, pediatric care, women’s health and hormone therapy, cardiovascular disorders, endocrine disorders including diabetes and thyroid disorders, mental health, and enjoys medical mission work when able. She is affiliated with Doctor’s Hospital Renaissance Brownsville. Through her residency training in Miami and as a wife to a Venezuelan native, Dr. Saavedra is fluent in speaking Spanish. She has two sons and enjoys cookouts and time with family, and trains regularly in Jiu-jitsu and Kickboxing.