DR. DIMPLE PATEL DESAI

A native of the Rio Grande Valley, Dr. Dimple Desai, is a woman who has overcome many obstacles to pursue her dreams. She is a board certified family and obesity medicine physician who has authored her first book, the award winning The Lambda Factor. For Dr. Desai, writing was a way to escape from the challenges of postpartum depression after the birth of her second child. Dr. Desai’s journey to success was not easy. She came from a low-income background, a region where opportunities are not easily found and had to work hard to achieve her goals. She acknowledges that resources were sparse, and there was a lack of mentorship available. But she persevered and was accepted into UTPA (UTRGV), which led to her being able to attend medical school in Galveston at UTMB. Dr. Desai was able to rely on a good support system from family and friends to complete her training successfully. Dr. Desai’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of resilience and determination. Despite facing numerous obstacles, she was able to pursue her dreams and achieve success in her field. As a minority woman in a male-dominated field, she had to work harder than her male colleagues to succeed, but she did not let that stop her. As a trailblazer in her field, Dr. Desai recognizes the value of diversity and inclusivity and hopes to inspire others to overcome and pursue their dreams. Her experiences and insights shed light on the importance of creating opportunities and support systems for underrepresented groups to help them achieve their full potential. Her story is a reminder that mental health struggles can affect anyone, but with the right support and determination, we can overcome them.

Dr. Dimple Desai encourages young aspiring individuals and hopes especially those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds can find this useful: “Do not give up on your dreams no matter how challenging the road may look. It is worth it in the end. It is worth believing in yourself and betting on yourself. That is the best gift you can give yourself. When someone tells you that you won’t be able to do it, prove them wrong. That satisfaction is 10x better than believing them and giving up. Find opportunities everywhere by branching out of your comfort zone. Talk to as many people as possible; you never know how one of their ideas may help you forge a path to your career. I wouldn’t have known about the JAMP program that helped me get into medical school if I wasn’t talking to someone else I met about what they are going to do”. Currently, Dr. Desai participates and leads cutting edge research at South Texas Research Institute (STRI) in Brownsville. She explains that STRI is a physician-led, patient-centered clinical research site in Edinburg, Texas, with a second location in Brownsville, Texas. The Institute seeks to increase awareness of clinical trial options amongst Hispanics, a group that is the fastest growing minority in the US but who represent less than 7% of clinical trial participants. To make research relevant here it must represent the study population to be most applicable. Dr. Desai and her team conduct late phase clinical trials in the field of hepatology, with a primary focus on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cirrhosis. Their aim is to yield results that empower medical professionals and patients to make informed health care decisions by advancing medical knowledge, promoting new and promising treatments, and facilitating access to otherwise unobtainable medications for patients of the Rio Grande Valley. Together with their community partners and an experienced research site comprised of dedicated, impeccably-trained, and compassionate staff, they seek to improve the health of the citizens of South Texas by bringing cutting edge therapies to their patients and trying to reach a cure for NAFLD/NASH by successfully enrolling Hispanics, the most affected ethnic minority, into clinical trials. Dr. Desai’s work through STRI in this area is crucial in addressing the health disparities that exist among underserved populations. Dr. Desai has also started an endowment at UTRGV for others like me called Dr. Dimple Patel Desai Endowment for Students in STEM for students to apply to that will help with their educational and career goals. If anyone is looking for mentorship to help guide them in the long-term pursuit of a career in a STEM field can also reach out to me via dimplepdesaiMD@gmail.com.