Martha Noel
REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINOLOGIST
MD
San Francisco, CA
"From a scientific standpoint, there's so much innovation in the field of reproductive endocrinology. The breakthroughs each year are incredible, and there's still so much more to do going forward. It's intellectually exciting to be part of a field that is evolving so quickly. But then, on a personal level, I love being able to form such strong and lasting relationships with my patients,"
Our providers are people too
Dr. Noel is a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist. She earned a BS in Biology at Duke University and her medical degree at Weill Cornell Medical College. She completed an OB/GYN residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital - Weill Cornell and her REI fellowship at UCSF. She practiced at UCSF for six years before joining RMA in 2022.
She has found that working at RMA allows her to simultaneously practice evidence-based medicine and make deep connections with patients — two deeply fulfilling sides to her career. "From a scientific standpoint, there's so much innovation in the field of reproductive endocrinology. The breakthroughs each year are incredible, and there's still so much more to do going forward. It's intellectually exciting to be part of a field that is evolving so quickly. But then, on a personal level, I love being able to form such strong and lasting relationships with my patients," she explains.
Dr. Noel knows that facing infertility is challenging physically, psychologically, and emotionally. "So many people don't talk about their fertility struggles, which can be quite isolating. So sometimes, I'm the only person they can really open up to. As their doctor, I'm fulfilling many roles for people, which is what I really love."
Dr. Noel's mother experienced infertility before getting pregnant with her, and Dr. Noel often thinks about how her mother's journey might have been different if she had access to the treatment available now. "My mom is also a psychologist, so psychology, coupled with infertility, was influential to me and has informed how I approach patients. My job as a fertility doctor is to provide medical care and emotional support."
Dr. Noel adds that, in addition to access to cutting-edge research, she appreciates the value RMA places on the patient and doctor relationship. "I love the ease of communication between doctors and their patients. If one of my patients comes in for an ultrasound, and I cannot see them personally that day, just being able to send a quick text, 'Hi, I looked at your ultrasound. Everything's looking great, and I'll see you in a couple of days.' That makes such a difference to people, and it's easy. And RMA has a fantastic system to do that," explains Dr. Noel.
Dr. Noel's research focuses on factors that impact IVF outcomes. Her clinical interests include fertility preservation, diminished ovarian reserve, premature ovarian insufficiency, preimplantation genetic testing for carriers of hereditary diseases, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
2002 Cancer Research Training Award National Institutes of Health
2006 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Scholar
2009 George Ladas Prize for Efficiency in Gynecology
2009 Sarah O'Laughlin Foley Prize in Clinical Medicine
2018 OB/GYN Outstanding Resident
2019 Clinical Reproductive Scientist (CREST) Training Program scholar