Robert Austin graduated from Grinell College with a degree in zoology and an ROTC commission in 1954. He spent three years in the U.S. Air Force and a year of graduate study at Boston College. Dr. Austin later attended the Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee where he received his Doctor of Medicine degree. He completed pediatric residency at the Upstate Medical Center at SUNY-Syracuse in 1967.

In 1975, Dr. Austin moved to Houston and established a private practice in General Pediatrics with special interest in sickle cell anemia and helping at-risk teens. With his colleagues, Dr. Austin created a support network for black males and was the first chair of the Child Abuse Prevention Network. In 1992, he received a Barbara Jordan Leadership Award for his work.

Dr. Austin is currently directing the Cullen Child and Adolescent Healthcare Center through Texas Children’s Pediatric Associates, a subsidiary of Texas Children’s Hospital. He is actively involved with several community-based organizations and currently serves as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee for the DeBakey High School for the Health Professions. Additionally, he continues his passion of mentoring over 150 students in colleges and medical schools across the country.