Experts on Fertility

Our physicians, embryologists, nurse coordinators and genetic counselor work together to bring each patient the best fertility care available. In addition to their clinical expertise, many of the practitioners are internationally recognized leaders in infertility research. All of our physicians are consulting reproductive endocrinologists.

Many of our providers are pioneers in the field. Our clinical team is comprised of experienced and dedicated professionals who deliver personalized care with understanding and respect.

As the Ovum Donor and Surrogacy Program Coordinator, Sandra Cisneros assists in the overall management and treatment plan for ovum recipients and donors. She serves as a guide and educator for patients throughout the many steps of the process, including coordinating ovum donor recruitment to ensure appropriate donor screening and the planning of the test and treatment cycles for recipients. She is committed to accomplishing these steps with discretion, efficiency, and compassion.

Cisneros joined the UCSF Fertility Group in 2001. She received her nursing degree at the College of San Mateo and has worked in the fertility field since 1994.

Jill Ford is responsible for assisting patients from the day of their egg retrieval through the time they receive their pregnancy test results. In addition to caring for patients in the procedure room on the day of their retrieval or transfer, she also follows up with patients, giving fertilization reports and pregnancy test results, and answering any questions they may have after their insemination. Ford joined the UCSF Fertility Group in 2001. She received her nursing and master's degree in nursing from San Francisco State University.

As IVF nurse coordinator of the UCSF Fertility Group, Debbie Jaffe assists patients with scheduling treatment cycles and medication regimens. She also teaches and counsels couples regarding IVF issues and has been a member of our team since 1991. Jaffe earned a bachelor's degree in nursing in 1977 from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton. To keep current in her field, she annually attends national IVF nurse and program coordinator meetings and workshops and participates in post-graduate courses held by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Anna Lau joined the UCSF Fertility Group in 1997. As the Ovum Donor and Surrogacy Program coordinator, she assists in managing the overall treatment plan for ovum recipients and donors. She serves as a guide and educator for patients throughout the many steps of the process, including coordinating ovum donor recruitment to ensure appropriate donor screening and planning the test and treatments cycles for recipients. She is committed to accomplishing these steps with discretion, efficiency and compassion.

Gina Davis is a board-certified genetic counselor, who specializes in infertility, assisted reproductive technologies and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. Davis assesses reproductive genetic risks based on personal and family history to allow patients to make more informed decisions about their reproductive options.

She joined the UCSF team in 2004. Davis earned a Master's of Science in Genetic Counseling at California State University, Northridge and obtained certification in genetic counseling from the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2005. Her research interests include patient decision-making, risk communication and public health and policy efforts in reproductive genetics and reproductive medicine.

Dr. Aisha Modan joined the UCSF Fertility Group in 1999 as a senior medical assistant. She helps guide patients through their treatment, providing education and support through each step of the process. She completed her medical training and clinical residency in obstetrics and gynecology in Pakistan and practiced as an attending physician there for four years. She also is a licensed medical assistant and phlebotomist.

Martha Navarette participates in semen evaluation and sperm cryopreservation and processes sperm for in vitro fertilization procedures. She earned a bachelor's degree at the National University of Nicaragua in 1981. She joined the UCSF Fertility Group in 1984 as a staff research associate.

Sherri Pena is a genetic counselor in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at UCSF Medical Center. She also is the practice manager of the Prenatal Diagnosis Center, which provides genetic counseling, screening and testing for genetic diseases. Pena earned a bachelor's degree in genetics at the University of California, Davis, and a master's degree in health and medical sciences at the Univeristy of California, Berkeley. She is certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling and is involved in research on informed choice in prenatal testing.

Dr. Shehua Shen has been working as a clinical embryologist since 1993 and has consulted both nationally and internationally in the areas of micromanipulation and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Shen was in charge of highly successful ICSI programs at both Brown University and Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard. She recently joined the UCSF Fertility Group from the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle where she played a key role in the recent achievement of their IVF success rate. Her areas of expertise include micromanipulation and IVF laboratory advances. She completed both her medical training and clinical residency in Shanghai, China.