Connect: thalia.segal@collabfertility.com, LinkedIn

Position: Medical Director & Founder, Collab Fertility

College and Class Year: College of Arts & Sciences, 2007

Tell us about what you're doing with your life, including what brought you to the Bay Area.

I’m a double board-certified Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) and Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist with over a decade of experience helping thousands of families overcome infertility and welcome babies into their lives. My expertise includes fertility preservation (egg and embryo freezing), individualized IVF protocols, preimplantation genetic testing, PCOS, recurrent pregnancy loss, LGBTQ+ family building, and comprehensive fertility evaluation and treatment.

I founded Collab Fertility to meet the growing need for high-quality, personalized fertility care in the East Bay. I believe patients deserve outstanding clinical outcomes delivered with compassion, transparency, and support. That’s why I created The Collab Way—an evidence-based, integrative model that supports both body and mind. We combine advanced fertility medicine with nutrition, lifestyle guidance, and education to give each patient the best chance at success.

Before founding Collab, I was an Assistant Professor at the UCSF Center for Reproductive Health, where I trained future REI specialists and cared for complex cases at one of the country’s top fertility centers. During my time there, UCSF was ranked the #1 fertility clinic in California by Newsweek.

I’m deeply committed to advancing reproductive health through research, education, and advocacy. My work focuses on the intersection of environmental exposures and fertility, and I served as Chair of the Environment and Reproduction Special Interest Group for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). I’ve authored several peer-reviewed publications and contributed the environmental health chapter to Yen & Jaffe’s Reproductive Endocrinology, one of the leading textbooks in the field. I also serve on the SREI Resident Education Committee to support the next generation of reproductive endocrinologists.

Here in the East Bay, I’m on staff at John Muir Health and an active member of the Walnut Creek Wellness Alliance, collaborating with other providers who share a commitment to holistic, integrated care.

Originally from New Jersey, I now call Northern California home. When I’m not in the clinic, you’ll find me hiking or exploring the coast with my husband and our three young boys.

In what ways have you stayed connected with Cornell since graduating?

I regularly attend alumni events and actively support current students interested in externships—an opportunity I personally benefited from during my time at Cornell. That experience was instrumental in helping me discover my dream job, and I’m passionate about paying it forward

If you could go back to your years on the Hill - what one piece of advice would you share with that younger version of you?

Go abroad and take the wines class! Both will broaden your horizons—one literally, the other culturally—and you’ll carry those experiences far beyond the Hill.

What was the most important class, club or connection made while at Cornell that has been important in your career (or life) journey?

The Cornell Public Service Center was central to my undergraduate experience. I led the Cornell Elderly Partnership, and with a $5,000 grant, we rebuilt a beautiful garden at Lakeside Nursing Home. The project was deeply rewarding—it taught me how to collaborate, lead a team, and bring a vision to life. Most meaningful of all were the friendships I formed with several Lakeside residents, whom I still think about often.