University at Buffalo (UB)
Harish Malhotra PhD, DABR
Harish Malhotra
PhD, DABR
Senior Medical Physicist, Research Associate Professor
Department of Radiation Oncology
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Specialty/Research Focus
Radiological Physics
Education and Training:
- PhD, Physics, University of Mumbai (1999)
- MS, Physics, University of Mumbai (1995)
- Certificate, Physics, University of Mumbai, India (1985)
- BS, Physics, Agra University (1984)
Employment:
- Research Associate Professor (HS) of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiation Medicine, Radiation Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2015-present)
- Research Assistant Professor, Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2007-present)
- Assistant Professor & Senior Medical Physicist, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (2002–2015)
- Research Fellow, Montefiore Medical Center, University Hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, NY (2001–2002)
- Medical Physicist, Tata Memorial Centre (1987–2001)
- Junior Physicist, Cancer Hospital and Research Institute (1985–1987)
Awards and Honors:
- Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology (ARRO) Educator of the Year Award (2017)
- Best Physics Paper Award (2000)
- Best Paper Award (1995)
Research Expertise:
- Theraeputic Medical Physics: Brachytherapy plays an important role in the treatment of female gynecological cancers. A good part of the century long clinical experience has come from use of a tandem and ovoid applicator set which has tungsten shields in it to minimize the radiation dose and hence radiation toxicity to the nearby critical structures, rectum and bladder. Unfortunately due to practical limitations, the dose reduction due to their presence was ignored and hence the clinical experience gained relies on incorrect recorded dosage to these two vital organs. Thus the published tolerance values in literature for these structures can not be used for new set of CT/MR compatible applicators which can not have any shielding due to imaging artifacts. We are presently developing experimental methods to determine the difference in the recorded and actual radiation dosage to these organs using various detectors. This study will provide guidance to properly apply corrected constraints for rectum and bladder using CT/MR applicators. Project 2 is based on collaboration with researchers in Carestream Health, Rochester, NY. We have successfully demonstrated a novel algorithm to use Electronic Portal Imaging Detector (EPID) to track the lung tumor in real time without requiring any external surrogate. It is very promising field which one day may help us to gate the treatments of lung patients using this technique which will be simple and yet free of less accurate external surrogates. This will also result in the reduction in tumor margin commonly employed for lung cases resulting in lower radiation toxicity to these patients. In radiation therapy, it is very important to accurately reproduce the patient position during treatment as was used during treatment simulation. This is presently carried out using the technical information recorded manually during simulation. In another project, we are seeing the feasibility of using digital cameras along with information extracted from the patients treatment plan to verify that the patients is not only in its right position before the treatment is started but also to continuously track and monitor the patients’ position during his/her entire treatment. Our initial results are very promising in this study. In yet another project, we are trying to find optimal beam arrangements and their mathematical characteristics to achieve an optimal treatment plan which best satisfies clinical constraints using a super computer at CCR, UB. We have already demonstrated the proof of concept in which patient specific images along with appropriate image segmentation‘s and desired clinical constraints are fed to a cluster of computers at CCR where hundreds of combinations are tried using a process called Genetic Algorithm to come to an optimal solution. The process has been successfully demonstrated for 3D conformal therapy and we wish to extend it for intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in near future as well.
Journal Articles:
- Singh AK, Suescun JAG, Stephans KL, Bogart JA, Lili T, Malhotra H, Videtic GM, Groman A. (2017) A Phase 2 Randomized Study of 2 Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Regimens for Medically Inoperable Patients With Node-Negative, Peripheral Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys (May), 98(1): 221-222.
- Bourgeois DJ 3rd, Yendamuri S, Hennon MW, Gomez J, Malhotra H, Kumaraswamy LK, Wang I, Demmy TL. (2016) Minimally invasive rib-sparing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery resections with high-dose-rate intraoperative brachytherapy for selected chest wall tumors. Pract Radiat Oncol. (Nov), 6(6): 329-335.
- Rauschenbach BM, Mackowiak L, Malhotra HK, Malhotra H. (2014) A dosimetric comparison of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, volumetric-modulated arc therapy, and dynamic conformal arc therapy in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer using stereotactic body radiotherapy. J Appl Clin Med Phys (Sep), 15(5): 4898-4898.
- Cai J, Malhotra HK, Orton CG, Malhotra H. (2014) Point/Counterpoint. A 3D-conformal technique is better than IMRT or VMAT for lung SBRT. Med Phys (Apr), 41(4): 040601-040601.
- Steinman JP, Bakhtiari M, Malhotra HK, Malhotra H. (2012) Experimental measurements and Monte Carlo simulations of dose perturbation around a nonradioactive brachytherapy seed due to 6- and 18-MV photons. Brachytherapy (Sep), 11(5): 413-420.
- Bailey DW, Kumaraswamy L, Bakhtiari M, Malhotra HK, Podgorsak MB, Malhotra H. (2012) EPID dosimetry for pretreatment quality assurance with two commercial systems. J Appl Clin Med Phys (Jul), 13(4): 3736-3736.
- Malhotra HK, Wu V, Wang Z, Patil S, Malhotra H. (2012) A novel method for vaginal cylinder treatment planning: a seamless transition to 3D brachytherapy. J Contemp Brachytherapy (Jun), 4(2): 92-100.
- Wu V, Podgorsak MB, Tran TA, Malhotra HK, Wang IZ, Malhotra H. (2011) Dosimetric impact of image artifact from a wide-bore CT scanner in radiotherapy treatment planning. Med Phys (Jul), 38(7): 4451-4463.
- Tran TA, Wu V, Malhotra H, Steinman JP, Prasad D, Podgorsak MB. (2011) Target and peripheral dose from radiation sector motions accompanying couch repositioning of patient coordinates with the Gamma Knife(®) Perfexion(™). Radiol Oncol (Jun), 45(2): 132-142.
- Hira M, Podgorsak MB, Jaggernauth W, Malhotra HK, Malhotra H. (2011) Measurement of dose perturbation around shielded ovoids in high-dose-rate brachytherapy. Brachytherapy (May), 10(3): 232-241.
- Bakhtiari M, Kumaraswamy L, Bailey DW, de Boer S, Malhotra HK, Podgorsak MB, Malhotra H. (2011) Using an EPID for patient-specific VMAT quality assurance. Med Phys (Mar), 38(3): 1366-1373.
- Bakhtiari M, Malhotra H, Jones MD, Chaudhary V, Walters JP, Nazareth D. (2010) Applying graphics processor units to Monte Carlo dose calculation in radiation therapy. J Med Phys (Apr), 35(2): 120-122.
- Cernica G, Wang Z, Malhotra H, de Boer S, Podgorsak MB. (2006) Investigation of gamma knife image registration errors resulting from misalignment between the patient and the imaging axis. Med Phys (Apr), 33(4): 941-943.
- Sood B, Garg M, Avadhani J, Gorla G, Malhotra H, Guha C, Deore S, Vikram B. (2002) Predictive value of linear-quadratic model in the treatment of cervical cancer using high-dose-rate brachytherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys (Dec), 54(5): 1377-1387.
Professional Memberships:
- Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM); Board of Directors, 3 year term as the Upstate NY Chapter's Representative to the AAPM Board (2018–present)
- American College of Medical Physics (now merged with AAPM); Full Member (2004–present)
- Upstate Chapter of Physicist in Medicine (now merged with AAPM) (2002–present)
- American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM); Full Member (2001–present)
- Association of Medical Physicist of India (AMPI); Life Member
- Association of Radiation Oncologist of India (AROI); Life Member
- Association of Radiation Oncologist of India (Maharashtra Chapter); Life Member
Presentations:
- "Patient safety in Radiation Oncology in the Next Millennium" 16th Annual Radiation Oncology Conference for Therapists, Dosimetrists and Nurses; Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Radiation Oncology (2016)
- "Preventing Radiation Accidents in Brachytherapy: Better Safe Than Sorry" 15th Annual Radiation Oncology Conference for Therapists, Dosimetrists and Nurses; Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Radiation Oncology (2015)
- "Volumetric Indices for the Definition of Respiratory Gates: A Paradigm Shift in the Assessment & Management of Lung Tumor Motion" Spring Meeting of the Upstate New York Association of Physicists in Medicine, Inc., Clinical Translational Research Center; Upstate New York Association of Physicists in Medicine, Inc.; Radiation Oncology (2015)
- "Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation: A Paradigm Shift in the Management of Breast Cancer" 14th Annual Radiation Oncology Conference for Therapists, Dosimetrists and Nurses; Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Radiation Oncology (2013)
- "SBRT: From Theory to Practical Implementation in a Clinic" 13th Annual Radiation Oncology Conference for Therapists, Dosimetrists and Nurses; Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Radiation Oncology (2012)
- "Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) in the Management of Prostate Cancer" 12th Annual Radiation Oncology Conference for Therapists, Dosimetrists and Nurses; Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Radiation Oncology (2011)
- "SBRT: A paradigm shift in radiotherapy for NSC lung cancer" Upstate New York Association of Physicists in Medicine, Inc. (A Chapter of the AAPM), Spring Meeting; Upstate New York Association of Physicists in Medicine, Inc. (A Chapter of the AAPM); Radiation Oncology (2011)
- "SBRT in the management of non-small cell lung cancer" Physician Outreach Thoracic Oncology Program; Physician Outreach Thoracic Oncology Program; Radiation Oncology (2010)
- "Application of High-dose-rate brachytherapy to various anatomical sites: RPCI experience" ; Queens University; Radiation Oncology (2010)
- "Stereotactic body radiation therapy in the management of lung cancer" ; Queens University; Radiation Oncology (2010)
- "Brachytherapy in the management of gynecological cancers: Past, Present and Future" 11th Annual Radiation Oncology Conference for Therapists, Dosimetrists and Nurses; Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Radiatin Oncology (2010)
- "Experience in the Development of clinical SBRT Program" Upstate New York Association of Physicists in Medicine, Inc. (A Chapter of the AAPM), Spring Meeting at Rochester General Hospital; Upstate New York Association of Physicists in Medicine, Inc. (A Chapter of the AAPM); Radiation Oncology (2008)
- "Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning: From Sliderules to Supercomputers" Graduate Seminar Guest Speaker, University at Buffalo, NY; University at Buffalo; Radiation Oncology (2007)
- "A New Frontier in the Treatment of Breast Cancer: Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation" 7th Annual Radiation Oncology Conference for Therapists, Dosimetrist’s and Nurses; Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Radiation Oncology (2006)
- "Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT)" 5th Annual Radiation Oncology Conference for Therapists, Dosimetrist’s and Nurses; Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Radiation Oncology (2004)
- "Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) and Radiotherapy (SRT): Rationale, Principle and Techniques" 4th Annual Radiation Oncology Conference for Therapists, Dosimetrist’s and Nurses; Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Radiation Oncology (2003)
- "Head-Scatter Factors for High-Energy Photon Beams" Scientific Seminar Series, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biophysics, RPCI and SUNY; RPCI and SUNY; Radiation Oncology (2002)
- "3D Conformal Therapy: Rationale, Planning, Dose Delivery and QA" Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER); Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER); Radiation Oncology (2001)
- "Planning & QA in Implementing 3D Conformal Therapy" AROI (Maharastra Chapter), Inlaks & Budhrani Hospital; AROI (Maharastra Chapter); Radiation Oncology (1999)
- "Physical Aspects of Stepping Source Dosimetry" International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) workshop on Interstitial and Interaluminal Brachytherapy, organized at Tata Memorial Hospital; International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Radiation Oncology (1998)
- "Brachytherapy Source Production, Measurement and Quality AssuranceQuality Assurance in High Dose Rate Brachytherapy" International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA (RCA) workshop "Brachytherapy Source Production, Measurement and Quality Assurance"; BRIT (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India); Radiation Oncology (1997)
- "Optimization in Radiotherapy" Treatment Planning Systems In Radiation Therapy workshop; Tata Memorial Centre and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre; Radiation Oncology (1994)