Biography
Puneet Plaha is Associate Professor and Consultant Neuro-oncology Surgeon in Oxford with a specialist interest in brain tumours especially Endoscopic minimally invasive surgery and Awake surgery.
He qualified in Medicine from one of India’s premier institutes, JIPMER, Pondicherry University in 1996 and completed his Masters degree in Surgery from the same institute in 2000. He undertook a MD degree from Bristol in 2011. He completed his neurosurgical training programme as part of the South West rotation (Bristol and Plymouth) from 2005-2010 and a 1yr Endoscopic pituitary fellowship in 2010-11 and Skull base fellowship 2011-12 in Oxford.
He is a Consultant Neurosurgeon at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. He has been Clinical Lead for the Oxford Brain MDT and Neuro oncology Lead for Thames Valley since Aug 2012.
Education and Training
Awake Neurosurgery video: A step-by-step description by Professor Plaha of awake neurosurgery described to the BBC (warning: surgical content). Video kindly provided by BBC Wiltshire on their Facebook site.
Puneet Plaha
MBBS, MS, MD, FRCS, FRCS (SN)
Associate Professor
- Consultant Neuro-oncology Surgeon
Research Interests
His area of interest is setting up novel clinical trials for brain tumours (Glioma), advanced brain imaging for brain tumours, novel intra operative technology to minimise morbidity during brain tumour surgery, endoscopic minimally invasive brain tumour surgery, awake surgery, immunotherapy for glioblastoma.
He is Chief Investigator of 3 national multicentre trials in the UK answering important questions on glioblastoma management:
NIHR FUTURE-GB trial https://future-gb.octru.ox.ac.uk
NIHR RECURRENT-GB trial. - Re-resection for glioblastoma.
CRUK funded COMBAT-GB trial - Immunotherapy for glioblastoma.
Our research aims are:
- Our research is focussed on surgical Neuro oncology with emphasis on technology to improve surgical outcomes and reduce patient morbidity. Our NIHR FUTURE-GB trial is looking at this for patients with glioblastoma.
- Plan surgical approaches to the tumour, using non-invasive DTI and fMRI brain imaging techniques to determine the ideal and maximal resection zone through functional networks.
- Understand how surgical morbidity and hospital length of stay can be reduced using a minimally invasive endoscopic approach to resect brain tumours.
- Identify and understand the transition zone between gliomas and surrounding normal brain in patients undergoing awake surgery.