Eric Forman, MD, HCLD joins Columbia Ob/Gyn as Medical and Laboratory Director

This month, the Center for Women’s Reproductive Care, part of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, welcomed Eric J. Forman, MD, HCLD, as its new Medical and Laboratory Director. In his new role, Dr. Forman oversees the medical practice as well as the in vitro fertilization and andrology laboratories, while also actively seeing patients facing infertility and those seeking to preserve their fertility.

After graduating first in his class at the State University of New York Downstate College of Medicine, Dr. Forman completed residency training at Duke University Medical Center. He was the first REI fellow at the Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey/Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School program. He is board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and Obstetrics and Gynecology and is also certified by the American Board of Bioanalysis as a high-complexity clinical laboratory doctor (HCLD) in andrology and embryology.

Dr. Forman has extensive clinical and laboratory research experience. He has published more than 40 articles in peer-reviewed journals on a wide range of topics in assisted reproductive technology (ART).

“Dr. Forman is a highly talented clinician and researcher, who represents the best example of the type of care that Columbia offers to our patients,” said Mary D’Alton, MD, Chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at CUIMC. “At Columbia, we manage many of the most complex types of cases. With Dr. Forman leading our Medical and Laboratory teams at CWRC, we can continue to employ best practices to provide the highest quality care for our patients, while pursuing the most innovative research to move the field of fertility care forward.”

Dr. Forman has a special interest in using preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) to optimize IVF and improve selection for elective single embryo transfer (eSET). A randomized controlled trial he led demonstrated, for the first time, that transferring a single chromosomally-normal embryo can achieve the same live birth rates as transferring two untested embryos. After publication of this paper, eSET rates skyrocketed and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine references Dr. Forman’s study in its guideline on the number of embryos to transfer in IVF. He also has an interest in fertility preservation, and a study he led proved that egg freezing using the rapid vitrification technology does not increase the risk of genetic abnormalities in the resulting embryos. This study was cited as a “watershed in ART” by one of the world’s leading experts on cryopreservation.

“Fertility care and treatment requires compassionate care and commitment,” said Zev Williams, MD, PhD, Director of the Center for Women’s Reproductive Care. “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Forman, one of the most innovative experts on IVF and fertility preservation, to our team. He will be a major asset to the center as well as the patients we care for.”

Dr. Forman specializes in providing individualized patient care to solve each couple’s unique challenges. When not working, Dr. Forman enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, running (including completing the 2016 NYC Marathon with Team Every Mother Counts), learning how to play ice hockey and rooting on his favorite sports teams, the Mets, Knicks, Rangers and Duke Blue Devils. He is also active on social media where he frequently writes blogs and commentaries on important topics in reproductive medicine and the patient/physician experience. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.