Dr. Cynthia C. Brinson earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin and obtained her medical doctorate at Texas Tech University, Health Science Center in Lubbock, Texas. She completed her Family Practice residency at Brackenridge Hospital in 1993, serving as the Chief Resident her final year. In addition to being a private physician at Red River Family Practice, Dr. Brinson has been the Medical Director of Central Texas Clinical Research, LLC since 1999.
Dr. Brinson has spent her entire professional career addressing the HIV epidemic through clinical research and evidence-based clinical care including prevention, screening, and treatment. In the late 1980s she was asked to join the American Foundation for AIDS Research and she continues today participating in research, providing care, advocating for patients, and sharing her knowledge and passion with the next generation of health care providers.
Dr. Brinson was instrumental in forming the HIV Study Group at Blackstock Family Health Center in 1992 as a resident. The group, now known as Central Texas Clinical Research, continues to be a productive community-based clinical research organization. Many medications that are now the standard of care for the treatment of HIV, Hepatitis B and C were studied by the group prior to approval for use. She is a prolific researcher with participation in over 150 HIV clinical trials and over 50 studies involving other health issues. She has presented her research findings locally, nationally, and internationally including at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, International AIDS Conference, ID Week, and TexMed.
In 2017, she helped open Kind Clinic with Texas Health Action after years of operating part-time out of her own clinic. It is the first full-service non-profit clinic in Central Texas to provide access to free STI screening and treatment and HIV pre- and post-exposure medication for those at risk of contracting HIV. She and her colleagues have provided risk reduction service for approximately 25,000 members of the community. There is now a second Kind Clinic in Austin, one in San Antonio, and a third Austin location in development.
She has received multiple awards for her service to improve the health of the community including the 2018 John P. McGovern Champion of Health Award, the 2013 Bryon E. Cox Spirit of Caring Award, and the Family Medicine Weinberg Award for Teaching. She is an inspirational role model for physicians, residents, students, and community leaders.
