Alan H. DeCherney is an

Obstetrician Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgi ...

and

Gynecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences) is the area of medicine concerned with conditions affecting the female reproductive system. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, which focuses on pre ...

who specializes in reproductive endocrinology & infertility. He is experienced in reproductive and endocrinology, infertility, and reproductive genetics. Dr. DeCherney earned a B.A. from

Muhlenberg College Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Muhlenberg, the German pat ...

and an M.D. from

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...

. He did his residency at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

and internship at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

; he was also a research fellow at the

Lister Institute The Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, informally known as the Lister Institute, was established as a research institute (the British Institute of Preventive Medicine) in 1891, with bacteriologist Marc Armand Ruffer as its first director, ...

in London, England. From 1982 to 1991, DeCherney directed the Reproductive Endocrinology division at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

. Then he worked as the director of the Reproductive Endocrinology division at the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

from 1996 to 2006.. He is a Fellow of the

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is a professional association of physicians specializing in obstetrics and gynecology in the United States. Several Latin American countries are also represented within Districts of ...

. He has served as president of the

American Society for Reproductive Medicine The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary organization for advancement of the science and practice of reproductive medicine. The society has its headquarters in Washington, D.C., and its administrat ...

(ASRM), the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (SREI), the Society of Reproductive Surgeons (SRS), the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology, and the Society for Gynecologic Investigation. He also served as the Editor in chief for

Fertility and Sterility ''Fertility and Sterility'' is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal published by Elsevier on behalf of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. It was established in 1950 and is an official journal of several societies (American Society f ...

from 1997 to 2011, and publish numerous articles that help shape the field of REI. He was formerly the John Slate Ely Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at

, the Phaneuf Professor and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...

, the president of the

. Currently he works as Director of the Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology and Chief, Reproductive Biology and Medicine Branch of the ''Eunice Kennedy Shriver'' National Institute of child Health and Human Development (NICHD) of the

National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in 1887 and is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Service ...

. Dr. DeCherney was a pioneer when IVF was first performed successfully in the United States. He was among a handful of physicians who treated some of the earliest patients. Over the years, Dr. DeCherney has mentored more than 100 Reproductive Endocrinologists.

List of Firsts

Dr. DeCherney have pioneered many never before done treatments and procedures that are now fundamental in the field of reproductive endocrinology & infertility.

Medical

* First Ectopic Pregnancy removal with a Laparoscopes * Mention of Discriminatory Zone for Diagnosis Ectopic Pregnancy * Endometrial Ablation with Wire Loop * Hyskon Pump * IVF High Dose HMG * Started Minimally Invasive Surgery at Yale University * First Sonohysterogram * Withered tube (DES) * Paper on Aging and Fertility (NEJM) * CASA (Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis) * First IVF Program in the Northeast, 5th in the country * Intercede to prevent adhesions * Empiric treatment of endometriosis * Vaginal Probe Guide for Egg Aspiration * Empiric IUI and HMG * Oil soluble vs Water Soluble dye for hysterosalpingograms increasing fertility * Homotransplantation of the human fallopian tubes * MRI of uterine anomalies * REI Match * REI Fellow's Retreat * SART Registry - 2nd President Validation Committee Chair for the CDC * New England Journal of Medicine, Associate Editor (First OB/GYN) * First OB/GYN as a Branch chief at the NIH

Honors

Academic Appointments

* Instructor, Department of OB/GYN, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine * Professor of OB/GYN, Yale University School of Medicine * Director, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of OB/GYN, Yale University School of Medicine * Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics and chairman of the department,

Tufts University School of Medicine The Tufts University School of Medicine is the medical school of Tufts University, a Private university, private research university in Massachusetts. It was established in 1893 and is located on the university's health sciences campus in down ...

* Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics, and chairman of the department, UCLA School of Medicine * Chair (Executive) of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA * Chief of Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA * Professor Emeritus, the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA * Chief and Senior Investigator, Reproductive Endocrinology, Infertility and Gynecology Branch and Deputy Clinical Director for Academic Affairs at ''Eunice Kennedy Shriveer'' National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health

Professional Organizations

- American Assembly, Columbia University - American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL) - American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Foundation - American Association for History of Medicine - American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOG) - American College of Surgeons - American Society for Reproductive Medicine - Supreme Court Historical Society - Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Special Interest Group (PGD SIG) - Academy of Medicine of Washington DC - American Gynecological Club - American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society - European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - National Academy of Medicine - Pacific Coast Fertility Society - Society for Reproductive Investigation - Society of Gynecologic Surgeons - Society for the Study of Reproduction

Press Mentions

* Giants in Obstetrics and Gynecology Series: A profile of Alan H. DeCherney, MD * The Heart's Desire, New York Times

Personal life

Dr. DeCherney's family emigrated from

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

at the turn of the 20th century. His great-uncle was a longtime Chair of the Department of Otorhinology at

Temple University School of Medicine The Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) is located on the Health Science Campus of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of seven schools of medicine in Pennsylvania that confers the Doctor of Medicine ...

, who persuaded DeCherney's father to become a family practitioner. Growing up, DeCherney's father, William worked from 6 AM to 11 PM, in the office that was also their home. Alan recalls sharing meals with his father in between seeing patients. Seeing his father working hard to help his patients kindled Alan's love for medicine from an early age. Alan met his wife, Deanna (DeeDee), when he was looking for someone to help him with an important report. After completing the manuscript, they went on a date, and were married 4 years later. DeeDee is an artist, a talented creamiest, sculptor, and interior designer. She served as the editorial director of ''Design Times'' magazine. Now she is a senior trustee of her alma mater, The University of the Arts, in Philadelphia. Together, the DeCherneys had 2 sons, Peter and Alexander. They now live in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, and are engage in a number of charitable works.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Decherney, Alan Temple University alumni Muhlenberg College alumni Yale University faculty Members of the National Academy of Medicine Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Physicians from Pennsylvania