Dr. Shankar Balakrishnan is a highly accomplished Interventional Neurologist and Neuromodulation Specialist with over 13 years of expertise in advanced endovascular procedures, movement disorders, and pioneering neurorestorative therapies.

Professional Profile

• Interventional Neurologist & Neuromodulation Specialist
• 13+ years of experience in endovascular neurology, movement disorders, stroke care, and neurorehabilitation
• Clinical Lead, Neurology & Interventional Neurology – Rela Hospital, Chennai
• Former Clinical Lead for Movement Disorders & Neuromodulation – MIOT International

Key Expertise

• Mechanical Stroke Thrombectomy
• Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
• Epidural Electrical Stimulation (EES) for paraplegia
• Aneurysm coiling, stent-assisted interventions, AV fistula management
• Neuromodulation therapies: Apomorphine pump, Intrathecal Baclofen pump
• Robotic neurorehabilitation and neuro-pain procedures
• Pediatric neurology, stroke critical care, neuro-electrophysiology

Major Achievements

• Awarded Excellent Neurologist of the Year 2025
• Awarded Most Innovative Neurologist of 2022
• Gold Medalist and Prof. CUV Award recipient (MMC)
• Lead contributor to national Stroke Mechanical Thrombectomy Guidelines
• First in Tamil Nadu to introduce directional lead DBS and BrainSense DBS
• Led South India’s first successful Epidural Electrical Stimulation for paraplegia
• Presented at American Academy of Neurology (AAN) as a student

Education & Training

• FINR – Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Zurich
• DM Neurology – Madras Medical College
• MD Pediatrics – Gujarat University
• MBBS – Stanley Medical College
• Advanced training across Switzerland, India, USA, and Japan

Clinical Experience

• Established an exclusive Neuro Cath Lab at Rela Hospital
• Over 35+ DBS procedures for Parkinson’s Disease
• Expertise in flow diversion, cranial/extracranial stenting, tumor embolization, RF ablation
• Proven leadership in building specialized clinics and neurointervention programs

Professional Memberships

• American Academy of Neurology (AAN)
• Movement Disorder Society (MDS)
• International Headache Society (IHS)
• Indian Academy of Neurology (IAN)
• Indian Association of Epilepsy (IAE)
• Stroke & Neuro-Intervention Foundation (SNIF)
• European Society of Minimally Invasive Neurological Therapy (ESMINT)
• International Neuromodulation Society (INS)