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Owen Davis, MD - Weill Cornell Medicine — Fertlo Editorial Review

Independent editorial overview · New York, NY
Photo of Dr. Hannah Ní Bhriain Russell

Dr. Hannah Ní Bhriain Russell, MB BCh BAO, Specialist in Gynaecology & Obstetrics

9 min read
Medically Reviewed
Photo of Prof. Sandro C. Esteves

Prof. Sandro C. Esteves, MD, PhD

Male Infertility & Andrology ANDROFERT Andrology & Human Reproduction Clinic, Campinas, Brazil; Honorary Professor, Aarhus University, Denmark

Last reviewed:

Few fertility practices in the United States carry the combination of academic prestige, clinical volume, and research depth found at the Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine (CRM) at Weill Cornell Medicine. Located at 1305 York Avenue on Manhattan's Upper East Side, the center has been an anchor of reproductive medicine since 1988 — a year before SART even began systematically collecting national outcome data. Today, with more than 33,000 children born through IVF cycles performed here, CRM stands among the highest-volume fertility programs in the country. Dr. Owen K. Davis, M.D., serves as one of the center's most senior physicians in his role as Associate Director of the IVF Program, and his credentials reflect decades of contributions both to clinical care and to the national policy architecture governing assisted reproduction. Patients researching New York fertility clinics will find CRM consistently ranked among the state's premier options, and those exploring what the IVF process involves before their first appointment will benefit from reviewing how a program of this scale organizes its care.

Physicians and Clinical Team

Owen K. Davis, M.D. — Associate Director, IVF Program. Dr. Davis holds a B.A. from Swarthmore College and an M.D. from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, where he graduated first in his class of 102 in 1982 and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society a year earlier. He completed his internship and OB/GYN residency at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center — the same institution where he would later build his career — and pursued subspecialty fellowship training in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, during which time he also held an instructorship in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Harvard Medical School. He holds dual board certification from the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology: in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and in the subspecialty of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.

Dr. Davis currently holds a professorship in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and serves as an Attending Obstetrician-Gynecologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. His administrative record at Weill Cornell is extensive: he has served as Chief of the Division of Gynecology and as Chair of the Institutional Review Board. On the national stage, he is a former President of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) and, most recently, Immediate Past President of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) — the field's principal professional organization in the United States. He serves as Associate Editor of Fertility and Sterility, the leading peer-reviewed journal in reproductive medicine, and has authored more than 85 journal articles and co-authored more than 25 medical textbook chapters. His research interests span the full range of assisted reproductive technology and reproductive endocrinology, with a particular focus on IVF outcomes and ovarian reserve management. His biography also appears in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World, and he has been recognized annually in Castle Connolly's Top Doctors — New York Metro Area, New York Super Doctors, and New York Magazine's Best Doctors. In 2000, the American Infertility Association honored him with its Family Building Award.

Zev Rosenwaks, M.D. — Director and Physician-in-Chief of CRM. Dr. Rosenwaks is internationally recognized as one of the architects of modern IVF and pioneered the donor egg program that has since become a global standard of care. He continues to see patients, lead research, and direct the center's 14-member reproductive endocrinology faculty.

The broader CRM physician team encompasses 14 reproductive endocrinologists and infertility specialists, all holding Weill Cornell Medical College faculty appointments and practicing as Attending Physicians at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. The center also maintains dedicated on-site psychological support services, specialized nursing teams with IVF-specific training, and patient coordinators who assist with treatment logistics, insurance navigation, and financial planning.

Services and Treatments

CRM offers a comprehensive menu of fertility evaluation and treatment services:

  • In vitro fertilization (IVF), including individualized controlled ovarian stimulation protocols
  • Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
  • Intrauterine insemination (IUI) with ovulation induction monitoring
  • Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A) and monogenic/single-gene disorders (PGT-M)
  • Embryo cryopreservation and frozen embryo transfer (FET)
  • Elective egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation) for fertility preservation
  • Medical fertility preservation for patients facing cancer treatment or other gonadotoxic therapy
  • Donor egg IVF — CRM is credited with pioneering the donor egg model now used worldwide
  • Donor embryo (embryo donation) cycles
  • Gestational carrier coordination and third-party reproductive services, including programs serving LGBTQ+ patients and single parents by choice
  • Donor sperm services
  • Endometrial co-culture (a technique developed at CRM) and assisted embryo hatching
  • EmbryoScope time-lapse embryo monitoring
  • Comprehensive semen analysis and male fertility evaluation
  • Reproductive genetics consultation, including for patients with known heritable conditions
  • Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery: diagnostic and operative laparoscopy and hysteroscopy, tubal surgery, myomectomy, and endometriosis management — areas in which Dr. Davis has specialty expertise
  • Ovulation induction for patients with PCOS, hypothalamic amenorrhea, and other endocrine disorders
  • Recurrent pregnancy loss evaluation and management

The center operates from its flagship location on York Avenue plus satellite offices in Tribeca, Brooklyn, Long Island (Garden City), Westchester (Mount Kisco), and Southampton — a geographic footprint that gives patients options for monitoring appointments without commuting to the Upper East Side for every visit.

Laboratory and Success Rates

CRM's on-site embryology laboratory is SART-accredited, meaning it undergoes independent quality review as a condition of the center's membership in the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. The lab supports the full range of advanced embryology techniques — including biopsy for PGT, vitrification-based cryopreservation, and time-lapse incubation — and also houses capabilities for semen analysis, sperm cryopreservation, and surgical sperm retrieval (TESE/MESA). The center's stated innovation history includes developing endometrial co-culture, a laboratory-level technique designed to improve embryo development in patients with repeated implantation failure, which has been adopted by programs globally.

According to the most recent SART Clinic Summary Report (2023 data), Weill Cornell CRM reported 6,846 total ART cycles — a volume that places it among the largest IVF programs in North America. Live birth rates per intended egg retrieval using the patient's own eggs were: 43.1% for patients under 35 (686 cycles); 34.5% for ages 35–37 (576 cycles); 24.6% for ages 38–40 (733 cycles); 13.0% for ages 41–42 (478 cycles); and 4.9% for patients over 42 (409 cycles). Singleton delivery rates were 95.6% or above in every age group, a figure consistent with the center's preference for single embryo transfer. For patients using donor eggs, CRM reported a 46.4% live birth rate with frozen donor oocytes and a 53% rate with fresh donor cycles in the reported period. Since 1988, the program has resulted in more than 33,000 live births.

These numbers are provided as a general reference. Prospective patients are encouraged to consult the SART database and the CDC ART Surveillance system and to filter by their own age range and diagnosis, as aggregate clinic statistics do not predict individual outcomes.

Patient Experience

CRM's main facility on York Avenue is a large, purpose-built fertility center with 30 examination and consultation rooms. Given the program's volume — nearly 7,000 ART cycles annually — patients should expect an environment that operates more like a major academic hospital subspecialty department than a boutique private practice. Early morning monitoring appointments (blood draws and transvaginal ultrasounds for follicle tracking) are available on weekdays and, unlike many smaller programs, the center maintains monitoring services across its satellite network, reducing the need for all patients to travel to the Upper East Side location daily during stimulation cycles.

Patient feedback patterns on review platforms generally praise the depth of clinical expertise, the responsiveness of nursing staff, and the quality of coordination between the center's many physicians and locations. The high volume means that patients will interact with multiple physicians and nurses over the course of a single IVF cycle rather than exclusively with one doctor — a common feature of large academic fertility programs. Patients who prefer a single-physician relationship throughout every step of their cycle should discuss care continuity preferences explicitly with their coordinator at intake. On-site psychological support services are available for patients navigating the emotional demands of fertility treatment, a resource that distinguishes CRM from many community-based practices. The center's six New York-area locations also reduce travel burden for patients who live outside Manhattan, particularly during the frequent monitoring phase of an IVF cycle.

Considering At-Home Insemination?

Not every fertility journey begins in a clinic. At-home intracervical insemination (ICI) is a lower-cost, private option that suits patients with no known fertility diagnosis — including single parents by choice, same-sex couples, and people who want to try a few cycles before committing to clinical treatment.

At-home insemination kits like those from MakeAMom come with step-by-step instructions designed for donor or partner sperm. Kits are a one-time purchase that can be reused until conception succeeds, require no clinic visit, and arrive in plain, discreet packaging. Many patients use them as a first step while working toward a fertility consultation — or alongside ovulation tracking while they wait for an appointment slot.

If you have a known fertility diagnosis, have been trying for 12 months without success (six months if you're over 35), or your physician has already recommended IUI or IVF, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist is the right next step.

Insurance and Financing

New York State has one of the broader state infertility insurance mandates in the country. Under New York Insurance Law, fully insured health plans covering New York residents are required to cover the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, including IVF, for eligible members. As of legislation enacted in 2020, the New York mandate was expanded to require coverage of IVF for a broader range of patients — including same-sex couples and individuals using donor gametes or gestational carriers — and to limit cost-sharing for fertility treatments. Patients with self-funded employer health plans (governed by federal ERISA, not state law) may not receive the same mandatory coverage, and federal programs such as Medicaid are not bound by the New York mandate.

CRM's patient coordinators and financial coordinators work with patients to verify benefits, obtain prior authorizations, and provide out-of-pocket cost estimates before treatment commences. The center accepts most major insurance plans and, as an affiliated practice of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College, is in-network for a wide range of commercial carriers. For patients with limited or no fertility coverage, the center offers access to financing options and can connect patients with medication assistance programs that may reduce the cost of injectable gonadotropins — typically the largest single out-of-pocket expense in a stimulated IVF cycle. Dr. Davis's advisory relationship with Alife Health, an AI-based platform focused on IVF protocol optimization, also reflects the center's engagement with technology aimed at improving both outcomes and treatment efficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dr. Owen Davis's specific clinical focus within CRM? Dr. Davis serves as Associate Director of the IVF Program and sees patients across the full range of reproductive endocrinology and infertility diagnoses, including IVF, ovulation induction, and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery for conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids, and tubal factor infertility. He has authored more than 85 peer-reviewed articles spanning assisted reproductive technology and reproductive endocrinology, and his national leadership roles — including past presidencies of both ASRM and SART — place him among the most credentialed clinician-researchers practicing in New York.

How does CRM's volume affect the patient experience? CRM performs roughly 6,800 ART cycles per year across its New York locations, making it one of the highest-volume fertility programs in the country. High volume generally correlates with deep laboratory experience and robust nursing support, but it also means care is delivered by a team rather than a single physician. Patients benefit from multi-location monitoring options and extended availability, but those who prefer a single-provider relationship should discuss this expectation during their initial consultation.

Does CRM offer services for LGBTQ+ patients and single parents? Yes. The center's third-party reproductive program explicitly serves same-sex couples, transgender individuals, and single parents by choice. Services include reciprocal IVF (where one partner provides eggs and the other carries the pregnancy), gestational carrier coordination, and donor gamete programs. New York's expanded infertility insurance mandate, enacted in 2020, improved coverage access for many of these patients under qualifying state-regulated health plans.

How do I access CRM's SART outcome data? CRM's clinic-specific outcomes are publicly available through the SART Clinic Summary Report portal. The most recent validated dataset covers 2023 cycles. Prospective patients should filter results by their own age group and, where applicable, by egg source (own eggs versus donor eggs) to identify the most relevant comparison data before their consultation.

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