Overview
Srilaxmi Bearelly, MD, MHS is a retina specialist with expertise in the evaluation and treatment of age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular occlusions, choroidal neovascularization and macular disorders.
Her experience in the treatment of retinal diseases started with a seven-year tenure on the Vitreoretinal Service at Duke University Eye Center in North Carolina (2003 to 2010). Since then, she joined Columbia’s faculty in 2010. She has treated thousands of patients, and helped patients and their families through their treatments. She has also volunteered her medical expertise in underserviced areas, such as El Salvador and rural United States.
Dr. Bearelly received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University, received her M.D. from Northwestern University Medical School, and a Masters of Health Sciences from Duke University School of Medicine. Following her ophthalmology training at Northwestern University, she completed her fellowship training in diseases of the retina and vitreous at Duke University Eye Center.
She has written 70 articles, chapters and abstracts, and frequently presents at scientific and professional conferences both nationally and abroad. Currently, Dr. Bearelly is a collaborator on a Columbia University clinical study of retinal changes in preeclamspia (a disease of pregnancy).
She is recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor in Ophthalmology, and with Castle Connolly’s Exceptional Women in Medicine award. She received several research awards, including an NIH/NEI K12 and K23 Mentored Research Career Award, and a Young Investigator Award by Retinal Degenerations Symposium at the International Congress of Eye Research Meeting in China.
Dr. Bearelly has been certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. She is an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), and the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS).
Areas of Expertise / Conditions Treated
- Diabetic Eye Disease
- Diabetic Retinal Exams
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Intravitreal Injection
- Laser Treatment
- Macular Degeneration
- Plaquenil Screening
- Retinal Disease
- Retinal Disorders
- Retinal Vascular Occlusion
- Vitreoretinal Disorder
Academic Appointments
- Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at CUMC
Hospital Affiliations
- NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Gender
- Female
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Phone Appointments
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Location(s)
Insurance Accepted
Aetna
- Aetna Signature Administrators
- EPO
- HMO
- Medicare Managed Care
- NY Signature
- POS
- PPO
- Student Health
Cigna
- EPO
- Great West (National)
- HMO
- Medicare Managed Care
- POS
- PPO
Emblem/GHI
- Medicare Managed Care
- PPO
Emblem/HIP
- ConnectiCare
- EPO
- Essential Plan
- HMO
- Medicaid Managed Care
- Medicare Managed Care
- POS
- PPO
- Select Care (Exchange)
- Vytra
Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield
- EPO
- HMO
- Medicare Managed Care
- PPO
Fidelis Care
- Essential Plan
Local 1199
- Local 1199
- NYP Employee Plan
MagnaCare (National)
- MagnaCare
Medicare
- Railroad
- Traditional Medicare
Multiplan
- Multiplan
UnitedHealthcare
- Columbia University Employee Plan
- Compass (Exchange)
- Empire Plan
- HMO
- Medicare Managed Care
- Oxford Freedom
- Oxford HMO
- Oxford Liberty
- POS
- PPO
WellCare
- Medicare Managed Care
World Trade Center Health Plan
- World Trade Center Health Plan
Credentials & Experience
Education & Training
- Residency: Northwestern University Medical School
- Fellowship: Duke University Medical Center, NC
Board Certifications
- Ophthalmology
Honors & Awards
2023-2025 NYP Dalio Health Justice Research Grant
2021 Precision Medicine Pilot Award
2018 Top 10 Poster Presentation Award, Women in Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, FL
2017-present Castle Connolly Exceptional Women in Medicine
2015-present Castle Connolly Top Doctor in Ophthalmology, Regional, New York Metro Area
2012-present Robert L. Burch III Scholar, Columbia University
2005-2010 NIH/NEI K12 and K23 Mentored Career Development Awards
2008 Young Investigator Award, Retinal Degenerations/International Congress of Eye Research
1999 Resident Teaching Award, Department of Internal Medicine at Northwestern University: Excellence in Teaching of Medical Students
1992-1999 Honors Program in Medical Education (HPME), Northwestern University BA/M.D. Program
1992-1995 Northwestern University Academic Grants
1992-1993 Robert C. Byrd Scholarship, ASTRA Scholarship
Research
Dr. Bearelly’s primary research interests are in age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Currently she is studying imaging technologies to predict progression of age-related macular degeneration. The emergence of many new clinical trials evaluating therapies for macular degeneration has increased the need for reliable and accurate means of monitoring and predicting macular degeneration progression. Imaging markers could help to stratify slow and fast progressors, thus expediting the evaluation of new therapies.
Dr. Bearelly is interested in approaching scientific questions from a patient perspective. Her long-term career goal is to design and implement early, innovative phase I and II clinical trials by applying advancements in the basic sciences. The potential for public health impact is enormous, as prevalence of macular degeneration is expected to double by 2030, and the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy is expected to triple by 2050. Novel approaches to treatment are needed for both of these diseases.
Research Interests
- Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Innovative clinical studies in vitreoretinal disease
- Novel Imaging
Selected Publications
- Silverman RH, Urs R, Wapner RJ, Valenzuela IA, Coleman HR, Bearelly S. Correlation of ocular plane-wave Doppler with optical coherence tomography angiography in preeclampsia. J Ultrasound in Med. 2023 Aug: Online ahead of print.
- Breazzano MP, Bond JB 3rd, Bearelly S, Kim DH, Donahue SP, Lum F, Olsen TW. American Academy of Ophthalmology recommendations on screening for endogenous Candida endophthalmitis. Ophthalmology. 2022 Jan;129(1):73-76.
- Dar S, De Moraes CG, Karani R, Khan S, Chen R, Blumberg D, Harizman N, Krawitz B, Valenzuela IA, Aliancy J, Tezel T, Horowitz J, Bearelly S, Coleman DJ, Chang S, Cioffi GA, Liebmann JM.Patient Concerns Regarding Suspended Ophthalmic Care Due to COVID-19. J Glaucoma. 2021 Aug; 30(8): 750-7.
- Nanda T, Breazzano M, Bearelly S. Clinical utility of pre-transplant ophthalmic consultation for lung transplant recipients: implications in the COVID-19 pandemic era. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2021 Jun; 259(6):1669-71.
- Stern-Ascher CN, North VS, Garg A, Ananth CV, Wapner RJ, Bearelly S. Subfoveal choroidal thickness and associated changes of angiogenic factors in women with severe preeclampsia. Am J Perinatol 2021 Apr;38(5):482-9.
- Nanda T, Bond JB, Chen RWS, Bearelly S, Russell Day H Jr, Cioffi GA, Arevalo JF, Donahue SP, Breazzano MP. A measured approach to inpatient ophthalmologic screening in the COVID-19 era: a multi-center perspective. Ophthalmology 2021 Mar; 128(3):346-8.
- Silverman RH, Urs R, Wapner RJ, Bearelly S. Ocular blood flow in preeclampsia. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2020 Sept 14;9(10):14.
- Breazzano MP, Giurgea LT, Day HR Jr, Fragiotta S, Fernández-Avellaneda P, van Dijk EHC, Bearelly S, Bond JB 3rd. The controversial drive for intervention with ophthalmologic screening for Candida bloodstream infections. Int J Infect Dis. 2020 May 12;96: 363-4.