Vihar Patel was born in India and raised in California. He discovered skateboarding at the age of 10 and has been skating for 25 years. While in high school, his love, passion and curiosity for his skateboarding abilities inspired him to become a physician with the goal of helping those who were unable to experience the simple pleasures of life. He earned his B.S. in biological sciences from UC Davis and his M.D. from St. George’s University in Grenada. Dr. Patel now works as a neuropathologist and an assistant professor of Clinical Pathology at UC Davis Health Systems.
At UC Davis, Dr. Patel provides clinical care to patients as a neuropathologist. He is involved in neuroscience research, focusing on Alzheimer disease and brain tumors. He also has multiple teaching roles in the education of UC Davis medical students.
Outside of UC Davis, Dr. Patel is co-founder of the Skaters Advancing Brain Education & Research (SABER) Foundation, a nonprofit organization with roots in the diverse disciplines of skateboarding, medicine, education and research. The SABER Foundation partners with the medical and skateboarding communities to educate the public about brain and nervous system diseases, provides research funding for brain and nervous system diseases, and introduces skateboarding to youth as a means to cultivate their skills to become the leaders of tomorrow. The SABER Foundations teaches youth from under-resourced communities how to channel the lessons harnessed from skateboarding into their endeavors for success and mentoring them towards challenging and fulfilling professional careers.
