Professor Rakesh Jalali

Rakesh Jalali leads the Neuro-Oncology Group in TMH, finest and premier such unit in India drawing patient referral, training opportunities, observers and research project requests and funding. His research interests has focused on evaluation of high-precision techniques of radiotherapy, late-term toxicities and quality of life, biological imaging, molecular prediction and clinical evaluation of new agents in neuro-oncology. He has more than 200 publications to his credit.

Dr Jalali was instrumental in establishing the Indian Society of Neuro-Oncology (ISNO) in 2008 serving as its founding general secretary and now currently as its President. He is leading two national expert panels on formulating ISNO guidelines for ‘medulloblastomas’ (2015-16) and ‘WHO 2016 classification of CNS tumours and clinical impact’ (2016-17). As President of ASNO, he hosted its annual meeting in March 2013 in Mumbai with more 650 attendees. Dr Jalali’s honours include awards in Pediatric Clinical Research and Quality of Life Research at the SNO Annual Meetings and has delivered countless lectures at various scientific and social forums. He is currently ASNO’s co-editor of Neuro-Oncology Practice and webmaster of ASNO’s website.

Dr Jalali also runs the ‘Brain Tumour Foundation of India’, a charity dedicated to the welfare of the patients with brain tumours and their families. He also conceptualised and helped make an animation film for children with cancer, ‘Bust That Noma’, to alleviate some of the anxieties suffered by children undergoing cancer treatment.