Rudrani Banik, M.D.

Rudrani Banik, MD, is a board-certified Ophthalmologist specializing in Neuro-Ophthalmology, Comprehensive Ophthalmology, and Migraine.  She was voted Castle Connolly Top Doctor by her peers. Dr. Banik manages the entire spectrum of diseases affecting vision which arise from the nervous system including: optic neuritis, optic neuropathy (abnormality of optic nerve), optic disc edema (swelling of the optic nerve), migraines, headache syndromes, double vision, ocular myasthenia gravis, brain tumors or stroke affecting vision, idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri), unexplained visual loss, blepharospasm, and hemifacial spasm. She is fully trained in the use of Botox for facial spasms as well as cosmetic indications. She also performs cataract and pterygium surgery.

In addition, Dr. Banik has specialized training in Functional Medicine. She applies principles of complementary and alternative medicine in conjunction with traditional medical approaches to treat chronic diseases affecting the visual system, such as migraine, myasthenia gravis, thyroid eye disease and other autoimmune conditions. She takes into account a patient's unique medical history within a psychosocial context. Her treatment approach is to provide each patient with a personalized prescription including a combination of nutrition, lifestyle modification, essential oils, meditation and yoga, in addition to medications, if indicated. Dr. Banik's goal is not only improved visual function, but also general better health and quality of life for her patients.

Dr. Banik attended Brown University's highly acclaimed Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) and graduated with a B.A with Honors and M.D. She completed her residency training in Ophthalmology at the University of California, Irvine. She went on to pursue fellowship training in Neuro-Ophthalmology at the world-renowned Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Banik was on full-time faculty at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center and then served as Residency Program Director for Ophthalmology at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center. She was then recruited to join the Faculty Practice at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, one of the premier eye institutes in the country.

Dr. Banik is currently in private practice and is Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine. She remains actively involved in supervising and teaching residents at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai in the clinics and the operating room.

Dr. Banik has been featured on Good Morning America, CBS News with Max Gomex, Fox5 News with Ernie Anastos, Eyewitness News ABC7, Real Simple magazine, and Daily Mail. She has authored numerous articles and has presented and moderated at national and international meetings. She is a member of the American Board of Ophthalmology's Exam Development Committee and is Chair of the Patient Information Committee for the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society.

Dr. Banik currently serves as principal investigator for several clinical trials in neuro-ophthalmology in idiopathic intracranial hypertension, non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy, pediatric optic neuritis, and Leber hereditary optic neuropathy.

She is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (NANOS), the Neuro-Ophthalmology Research Disease Investigator Consortium (NORDIC) and the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM).