Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery; Director, UTSW Brain Tumor Program
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Toral R. Patel, M.D., is an Associate Professor and Vice-Chair of Faculty Affairs in UT Southwestern Medical Center’s nationally ranked Department of Neurological Surgery, where she specializes in brain tumor surgery. She also serves as Director of the UT Southwestern Brain Tumor Program.
Dr. Patel received her undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University and earned her medical degree at UT Southwestern Medical School. She completed a residency in neurological surgery at Yale-New Haven Hospital, serving as Chief Resident. She then received advanced training in neurosurgical oncology through a fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, before returning to UT Southwestern as a faculty member in 2014.
Dr. Patel’s clinical care and research have garnered numerous awards, including the UT Southwestern Leaders in Clinical Excellence Patient and Family Recognition Award, the William F. Collins Resident Research Award, the Coppell Independent School District Distinguished Alumni Award, and the UT Southwestern Medical Student Summer Research Award. She completed the Executive Leadership in Health Care (ELH) program in 2025. She currently holds a patent titled “Highly penetrative nanocarriers for treatment of CNS disease” for her research into how nanoparticles can be used to carry drugs directly to the site of brain tumors. She has been included in D Magazine's Best Doctors list, annually, from 2018 – present.
Dr. Patel served as the first female President of the Texas Association of Neurological Surgeons (2024 – 2025). She is also a member of the Society for Neuro-Oncology, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
Friday, May 1, 2026
9:30 AM - 9:40 AM CT