The Department of Pediatrics and the Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurology are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Dhristie Bhagat as Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Neurology concurrently with an appointment as Assistant Professor in the Division of Neuro-ophthalmology, effective October 1, 2024. She will be seeing patients in both divisions.
Dr. Bhagat was recruited to Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) as a dual-trained pediatric neurologist and neuro-ophthalmologist. After graduating from Columbia University with a degree in biomedical engineering, she received her M.D. degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, where she received the Robert J. Haggerty Prize in Pediatrics, the Class of 1996 Community Service Award and the Joan Hensler Students of Rochester Outreach Community Service Award. She then completed her residency in Child Neurology at New York University Langone Health, where she served as chief resident. She then underwent neuro-ophthalmology fellowship training at Childrens Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP) and University of Pennsylvania, where she cared for both adult and pediatric patients with neuro-ophthalmic disorders. Dr. Bhagat is expert in both common and rare ophthalmological conditions of children and adults, particularly in relation to neurological disorders. She has conducted research on the imaging characteristics of optic disc drusen and peripapillary hyperreflective ovoid mass-like structures (PHOMS) in children and on the neurologic manifestations of COVID-19 in pediatric patients. As a member of the Consortium of Pediatric Neuro-ophthalmologists, she will continue to participate in collaborative, multi-center research to benefit patients at WCM and beyond. She also has a passion for medical education, with experience in curriculum development for medical students and residents.
As one of less than a handful of pediatric neuro-ophthalmologists in the greater New York region, she will provide much-needed expertise to children to overcome their visual difficulties and facilitate their transition to an adult life as fulfilling as possible. We are delighted about Dr. Bhagat’s appointment as Assistant Professor and look forward to her future achievements at Weill Cornell Medicine.