When she was a medical student at Yale, Blair McNamara met many patients who needed gynecologic cancer care. But one experience in particular has stuck with her.
A woman with advanced ovarian cancer, who had already gone through surgery and many lines of chemotherapy, was deciding if she wanted to continue with treatment or go on hospice. And the physician who had been taking care of her since her diagnosis - through multiple surgeries, treatments, and clinical trials - was now leading her through this final decision.
This struck a chord with McNamara.
"I remember recognizing that her gynecologic oncologist had been there from the very beginning of this patient's disease and was also there now helping her decide what she wanted the last part of her life to look like," McNamara said. "That was so inspiring."
McNamara, who today is back at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), is now the person who meets patients at all stages of disease and helps them make those kinds of decisions. A 2018 graduate of YSM, she returned to campus as a clinical fellow in gynecologic oncology in 2022 after completing her residency at the University of California, San Francisco, and is now an assistant professor in the Gynecologic Oncology Division.
In the latest edition of Office Hours, a Q&A series that introduces new Yale faculty members to the broader community, McNamara talks about how she got interested in gynecologic oncology, misconceptions about cancer survivorship, and why she loves to craft.
| Title | Assistant Professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences in the Gynecologic Oncology Division |
|---|---|
| Research Interest | Novel therapeutics and gynecologic malignancies, quality improvement |
| Prior Institution | University of California, San Francisco |
| Started at Yale | September 1, 2025 |
How did your time at Yale inform your path in medicine?
Blair McNamara: I came into med school sure that I wanted to an ob-gyn. I was really interested in family planning and abortion care and access. However, as I worked with a lot of the faculty who are now my colleagues, I realized how impactful being a physician and surgeon in the gynecologic oncology space can be - taking care of women with uterine cancer, cervical cancer, and ovarian cancer. These cancers, which often impact older patients, tend to be forgotten on the global and national scene in terms of research and funding. So, I would say that the faculty and research I was exposed to deeply impacted me.
You've done a lot of research into gynecologic cancer care, from surgical outcomes for women with ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancer to clinical trials of novel therapeutics. What sparked your interest in these subspecialties?
McNamara: I'm very passionate about clinical outcomes and quality improvement. That is work I did in residency and also here at Yale as a fellow. During training, I was in the hospital environment 24/7, which is both stressful and wonderful. But that time also opened my eyes to a lot of ways we can do better for our patients. I became very interested in thinking through systems and how we can adjust them to be more evidence-based and help our patients get the best outcomes.
You've also looked into cancer survivorship and life after gynecologic cancer. What are some of the common misconceptions about that experience?
McNamara: Survivorship can look so different from patient to patient. I think Yale is exceptional at helping patients anticipate changes to sexual health and early menopause after a cancer diagnosis, as well as addressing these changes with medications and other treatments. As our therapies for gynecologic cancers improve and patients' survivorship is lengthening, we get to help our patients through more of "life after cancer." I think survivorship is a combination of "How can we get you back to where you were pre-cancer and pretreatment?" and also "How can we help you deal with the ongoing side effects of that treatment?"
What drew you back to Yale after you finished your residency in California?
McNamara: I'm from the East Coast. While I loved California, I am an East Coaster at heart and felt very drawn to come back closer to family and to the seasons. Based on my experience in medical school, I knew how passionate and energized everyone at Yale is about pre-clinical and clinical research. Yale is truly at the forefront of medical and surgical advancements in the field of gynecologic oncology, and I was thrilled to return and be a part of that.
What do you like to do outside of work?
McNamara: I'm a hobbyist. I love to make things and learn new skills. I taught myself how to knit when I was very young and have been knitting sweaters ever since. That launched into wanting to learn as many new things as possible - I now know how to sew, crochet, quilt, and carve wood into spoons. Every year, there's a new thing I want to learn how to do, and it just keeps me so excited.
