Meet Vibha
Founder and President
About The Aasha Foundation
Aasha means hope in Hindi — and it is this spirit of hope that lies at the heart of The Aasha Foundation. Founded with the vision of transforming lives, the foundation is committed to implementing vital healthcare services and promoting education about the importance of healthcare access and equity. The Aasha Foundation is a reflection of its founder Vibha’s dream: to bring meaningful change to the world, one life at a time.
Meet the Founder – Vibha
Vibha is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Davis, pursuing a major in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior with a minor in Sociology. She intends on furthering her education with an MPH and a DO/MD, with which she aspires to serve global communities. With aspirations of becoming both a surgeon and a public health advisor, she has dedicated her early academic and personal journey to building a life rooted in service.
From a young age, Vibha envisioned creating her own non-profit — a platform to combine her passions for healthcare, community service, and social justice. That dream materialized in the form of The Aasha Foundation.
Vibha has accumulated extensive international experience, volunteering as a dental assistant in Guatemala, Cambodia, Mexico, and Kenya with Global Dental Relief, providing care to underserved children. She also worked at North Fulton Smiles as a dental assistant during the summers of 2020, 2021, and 2023. Her leadership and service have earned her numerous accolades, including the Presidential Volunteer Service Award and the Award of Excellence from the Congress of Future Medical Leaders. Her academic pursuits have taken her to institutions like the University of Georgia, UNC Chapel Hill, and Oxford University, where she deepened her understanding of medicine and global health.
At UC Davis, Vibha is actively involved in the Joan Viteri Memorial Clinic, a gender and lifestyle inclusive student-run clinic where she serves as the head for the Reproductive Health committee. She was a selected panelist at the UC Davis Mental Health Initiative’s 2024 Conference and is a member of Tau Mu Lambda Honors Society, Medical Scholars Program. In August 2024, she traveled to Ghana with UC Davis and the Children's Family Health Organization to work at the Princess Marie Louise Children's Hospital in Accra. During her second year, she worked as a business development intern at AtomVie Global Radiopharma. In August 2025, Vibha traveled to the Dominican Republic with International Health Alliance to shadow physicians and conduct research analysis about vaccination hesitancy trends. The research was accepted into the Cochrane Network Congress of Public Policies International Forum, and Vibha was named as a co-author of the presentation; Vibha is humbled and grateful for the opportunity. In 2025, she previously held the role of Outreach Coordinator for Operation Smile - Davis and is honored to step into the role of Co-President in the 2026-27 academic year. Additionally, she conducts research in Dr. Amparo Villablanca's lab, focusing on sex-based differences in how hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, obesity, and diabetes contribute to cardiovascular disease and strokes. At the 2026 UC Davis University Research Conference, she presented research that identified sex-specific genetic and cellular responses to Type II Diabetes Mellitus in order to synthesize female-centered treatment for cardiovascular disease. Vibha strives to contribute to global healthcare by establishing projects that address systemic inequities.
Vibha remains devoted to continuing her mission with The Aasha Foundation throughout her undergraduate education and into her career.
AASHA FOUNDATION, INC. (the 'Foundation') intends to advance charitable, religious, educational, and other exempt activities (within the definition of I.R.C. Section 501(c)(3)). The Foundation will accomplish this purpose by making grants for general support as well as for specific projects or programs to exempt 501(c)(3) organizations that directly provide services or operate programs. The Foundation intends to make grants to a variety of charitable organizations (as defined under I.R.C. Section 501(c)(3)), including social service and other organizations that seek to deal with, support, and resolve (i) issues and challenges related to public health as well as supporting health improvement initiatives, including but not limited to the advancement and support of public health programs in targeted communities, and (ii) issue surrounding the challenges and opportunities in the medical field, including but not limited to the advancement and provision of healthcare to individuals and families in the community. The Foundation may also make grants to other exempt 501(c)(3) organizations including schools, libraries, and human societies.