Dr. Fernando Membreño, MD, MSc

Medical Director of the Starhope Liver Center

Dr. Fernando Membreño is a triple board-certified Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist (Liver Specialist) with over 20 years of clinical and research experience in treating and developing new therapies for liver diseases. He completed his medical education in Costa Rica and specialized training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He later served as the Director of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation at the Denver VA Medical Center and trained in Liver Transplantation as Affiliate Faculty of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Colorado.


In 2006, Dr. Membreño moved to San Antonio, Texas, becoming the Medical Director of Liver Transplantation at Methodist Hospital. In 2020, he joined DHR Health Transplant Institute to lay the groundwork for a future Liver Transplant Program in the Texas Valley and served as the Principal Investigator for clinical trials on new therapies for Metabolic Associated Steatohepatitis (Fatty Liver Disease) and Alcohol-related Hepatitis.

Dr. Membreño has now returned to San Antonio as the founder and CEO of the Starhope Liver Center (SLC), dedicated to offering advanced liver care and clinical research to the community. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Dr. Membreño is committed to delivering high-quality liver care to San Antonio and South Texas communities.

Mission Statement

My mission is to provide a new hope in the future by assisting in the development of innovative therapies through clinical research.

Research Interests

Dr. Membreño is the Director and Primary Investigator of Clinical Trials at Starhope Clinical Research.

His research interests include Fatty Liver Disease, Alcoholic Hepatitis, Hepatitis C, Liver Cancer, and Liver Transplantation.

Medical Education

  • Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship at UTMB Galveston, Texas.
  • Internal Medicine Residency at Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island, NY
  • Medical School at Universidad Autonoma de Ciencias Medicas, San Jose, Costa Rica.
  • Master of Science in Clinical Research at UTMB, Galveston, Texas.

Professional Activity

  • Board Certified in Internal Medicine
  • Board Certified in Gastroenterology/Hepatology
  • Board Certified in Transplant Hepatology
  • Member of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)
  • Member of the European Association for the Study of Liver Disease (EASL)


Real Stories, Real Hope