From a quiet farm in Brazil to the forefront of mental health innovation at UTHealth Houston, Joao L. de Quevedo, MD, PhD, has built a notable career in psychiatry. Born and raised on a Brazilian farm, de Quevedo moved to Porto Alegre at 18 to attend medical school. "I was a farm boy," he recalls.
In Brazil, students can enter medical school after high school, leading de Quevedo to six years of intensive study. Early in his training, he joined a neuroscience lab and developed an interest in the human brain. Initially considering neurosurgery and neurology, his path changed during his psychiatry rotation. "Everything just clicked," he said.
De Quevedo's focus shifted from research to clinical work during his residency. He began enjoying patient interactions and decided to balance both research and clinical roles. "I've had one foot in each world ever since," he noted.
A chance meeting with Jair C. Soares, MD, PhD, at a 2013 conference led him to UTHealth Houston. Invited by Soares to join the team instead of taking a planned sabbatical year, de Quevedo soon moved to Houston.
At McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, de Quevedo established the Translational Psychiatry Program and later the Center for Interventional Psychiatry. The center focuses on innovative therapies for treatment-resistant depression.
De Quevedo's team is involved in a national trial on vagus nerve stimulation for depression management. "It's exciting," he said about comparing outcomes with active versus inactive devices over several years.
Teaching is integral to his work as well. "There's no separation anymore," he stated about combining teaching with treating patients.
Reflecting on his time at UTHealth Houston since 2008, de Quevedo cites personal connections as key: "The people." He appreciates the growth of the department from 50 faculty members to 200 since joining.
Off duty, simple pleasures like spending time with his cat bring him joy: "Coming home to Goliath is one of the best parts of my day."
Inspiring words adorn his clinic waiting room: “Here, we never give up.” De Quevedo assures patients even when treatments fail: “Don’t worry. We’ll figure out the next step.”
