Santosh Helekar

Santosh Helekar, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Academic Institute
Associate Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College


Helekar Lab


Biography

Dr. Santosh A. Helekar got his medical degree (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) from the University of Bombay in 1982. He earned a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Baylor College of Medicine in 1991. He held faculty appointments in the Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Neurology at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute and Weill Medical College (WMC) of Cornell University before rejoining as a scientist and associate member of Houston Methodist Research Institute in 2010. Dr. Helekar is also an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery in the Academic Institute of Houston Methodist Hospital. As a member of the Research Institute Neurosciences Research Program, he directs the Magnetic Stimulation Device Core Laboratory. He is also a member of, and director of the Oncomagnetics Initiative in, the Kenneth R. Peak Center for Brain and Pituitary Tumor Treatment and Research in the Department of Neurosurgery. Presently, his primary research is focused on the development of a new noninvasive portable magnetic stimulation device called the Oncomagnetic device for use in the treatment of glioblastoma. He also conducts neuroscientific research on neuromodulation using another portable wearable device called Transcranial Rotating Permanent Magnet Stimulator (TRPMS) developed by him and Dr. Henning Voss of WMC. He also collaborates with other members of the Research Institute on TRPMS and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies in various neurological conditions. Dr. Helekar has been a member of grant review boards of the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense and Alzheimer's Association. He has also been an E-print editor of Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness, and a reviewer for several international research foundations and scientific journals in his fields of interest.

Description of Research

Dr. Helekar's current research program focuses on the development and refinement of two new portable wearable noninvasive magnetic stimulation devices, namely an Oncomagnetic device (OMD) to treat glioblastoma and a neuromodulation device called Transcranial Rotating Permanent Magnet Stimulator (TRPMS) invented by him, the latter in collaboration with Dr. Henning Voss of WMC. Ongoing projects in his laboratory primarily involve studying the anticancer effects of OMD in cell culture, mouse models and human subjects. Other projects are focused on TRPMS stimulation using brain functional magnetic resonance imaging and electrophysiological approaches for application in basic neuroscience research and neuromodulatory therapies in neurobehavioral disorders. He is also interested in developing devices and methods inspired by theoretical ideas to conduct research related to neural processes underlying consciousness.

Areas Of Expertise

fMRI Motor control Vocal learning Speech and language disorders Conscious perception Neurophysiology Neuromodulation
Education & Training

Postdoctoral Fellowship, Baylor College of Medicine
PhD, Baylor College of Medicine
Publications

Spinning magnetic field patterns that cause oncolysis by oxidative stress in glioma cells
Hambarde, S, Manalo, JM, Baskin, DS, Sharpe, MA & Helekar, SA 2023, , Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 1, 19264, pp. 19264. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-46758-w

EXTH-05 - Anti-tumor immune response of Oncomagnetic monotherapy in glioblastoma
Pandey, A, Hambarde, S, Baskin, DS & Helekar, S 2023, , 28th Annual Meeting of Society for NeuroOncology, Vancouver, Canada, 11/15/23 - 11/19/23.

Spinning magnetic field patterns that cause oncolysis by oxidative stress in glioma cells
Hambarde, S, Manalo, JM, Baskin, DS, Sharpe, MA & Helekar, SA 2023, , Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 19264. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-46758-w

Evaluating Individualized, Noninvasive Brain Stimulation to Treat Overactive Bladder in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Salazar, BH, Hoffman, KA, Lincoln, JA, Karmonik, C, Rajab, H, Helekar, S & Khavari, R 2023, , BMC Urology.

Evaluating noninvasive brain stimulation to treat overactive bladder in individuals with multiple sclerosis: a randomized controlled trial protocol
Salazar, BH, Hoffman, KA, Lincoln, JA, Karmonik, C, Rajab, H, Helekar, SA & Khavari, R 2024, , BMC Urology, vol. 24, no. 1, 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12894-023-01358-8

Oscillation patterns for oncomagnetic treatment
Helekar, S, Baskin, DS, Sharpe, MA & Pichumani, K Apr. 13 2023, , Patent No. WO2023060149A1.

Method and apparatus for oncomagnetic treatment
Helekar, S, Baskin, DS, Sharpe, MA & Pichumani, K Feb. 09 2023, , Patent No. 20230043685.

System and Method for Consciousness, Unconsciousness, or Sentience Measurement or Assessment
Helekar, S Feb. 08 2023, , Patent No. 10063-078pv1 OTT202202.

Method and apparatus for oncomagnetic treatment
Helekar, S, Baskin, DS, Sharpe, MA & Pichumani, K Feb. 07 2023, , Patent No. US11571585B2.

INNV-12. Reproducible reductions of contrast-enhanced tumor volumes in two end-stage recurrent glioblastoma patients with in-home Oncomagnetic monotherapy
Helekar, S & Baskin, DS 2022, , Society for Neuro-Oncology 27th Annual Meeting, Tampa, United States, 11/16/22 - 11/20/22 pp. vii143.

EXTH-65. Synergistic oncolytic effects of temozolomide and Oncomagnetic therapies in glioblastoma.
Pandey, A, Hambarde, S, Baskin, DS & Helekar, S 2022, , Society for Neuro-Oncology 27th Annual Meeting, Tampa, United States, 11/16/22 - 11/20/22 pp. vii224.

EXTH-68. Oncomagnetic treatment selectively kills glioma cancer cells by inducing oxidative stress and DNA damage.
Hambarde, S, Pandey, A, Baskin, DS & Helekar, S 2022, , Society for Neuro-Oncology 27th Annual Meeting, Tampa, United States, 11/16/22 - 11/20/22 pp. vii224-vii225.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ONCOMAGNETIC TREATMENT
Helekar, SA, Baskin, DS, Sharpe, MA & Pichumani, K Jun. 23 2022, , Patent No. US2022193436.

Method and apparatus for providing transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to a patient.
Helekar, S & Voss, HU Apr. 05 2022, .

Glutamine anaplerosis is required for amino acid biosynthesis in human meningiomas
Ijare, OB, Hambarde, S, Brasil Da Costa, FH, Lopez, S, Sharpe, MA, Helekar, SA, Hangel, G, Bogner, W, Widhalm, G, Bachoo, RM, Baskin, DS & Pichumani, K 2022, , Neuro-oncology, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 556-568. https://doi.org/10.1093/neuonc/noab219

SOncomagnetics: A Potential New Noninvasive Magnetic Stimulation Technology to Treat Glioblastoma
Baskin, DS, Sharpe, M, Hambarde, S & Helekar, S 2022, , Neurosurgery, vol. 68, no. Supplement_1. <https://journals.lww.com/neurosurgery/Fulltext/2022/04001/341_SOncomagnetics__A_Potential_New_Noninvasive.161.aspx>

Noninvasive, Individualized Cortical Modulation Using Transcranial Rotating Permanent Magnet Stimulator for Voiding Dysfunction in Women with Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Trial
Khavari, R, Tran, K, Helekar, SA, Shi, Z, Karmonik, C, Rajab, H, John, B, Jalali, A & Boone, T 2022, , Journal of Urology, vol. 207, no. 3, pp. 657-667. https://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000002297

Modulation of spontaneous motor unit potentials by a new motor cortical magnetic stimulation method in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Helekar, SA, Thonhoff, J, John, BS, Nguyen, L, Rosenfield, DB & Appel, SH 2022, , Journal of Neurology, vol. 269, no. 10, pp. 5487-5496. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-022-11214-8

Method for noninvasive whole-body stimulation with spinning oscillating magnetic fields and its safety in mice
Hambarde, S, Nguyen, L, Manalo, J, John, B, Baskin, DS & Helekar, SA 2022, , Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 419-428. https://doi.org/10.1080/15368378.2022.2127108

Oncomagnetic Therapy for Glioblastoma - A Novel, Powerful, and Minimally Invasive Technology.
Helekar, S & Baskin, DS 2022, , 2022 Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting, San Francisco, United States, 8/8/22 - 8/12/22.