User:J.S. Sagawe/Sarah Martins Da Silva

Dr Sarah Martins da Silva Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is a gynaecologist specialising in research into male infertility.

Da Silva is a senior lecturer in reproductive medicine at the University of Dundee. She also works as an honorary consultant gynaecologist at the Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, specialising in fertility problems, diagnostic ultrasound, and assisted conception.

Early life and education
Da Silva completed her medical training at the University of Edinburgh in 1995. Her MD thesis investigated egg cell maturation and the development of the ovaries. Da Silva subsequently worked as a Clinical Lecturer in Reproductive Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. She was accredited as a consultant in 2013.

Career and research
Da Silva leads a research group on male infertility, sperm biology and drug discovery (SOURCE). She is the lead on a UK-wide research clinic on sperm studies for couples affected by unexplained infertility post-IVF treatment (SOURCE). Da Silva has published multiple scientific papers, predominantly focussing on human fertility.

Her work on male infertility was motivated by the unexplained decrease in sperm count in the late 20th and early 21st Centuries. During her work as a consultant doctor for assisted conception, she noticed that treatment options for male fertility were limited, instead requiring the female partner to undergo invasive fertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection that did not directly address the problem of low male fertility. Da Silva's research investigates the functionality of sperm cells, particularly the sperm-specific calcium channel CatSper, and how modern lifestyle choices may affect sperm function. She is working on developing drugs to enhance sperm count and function, for which she has won funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In 2019, da Silva featured in a BBC documentary on fertility issues and IVF.

Awards and honours

 * In 2019, the BBC named da Silva as one of their 100 most inspiring and influential women for 2019 for her work on male infertility . She delivered a speech highlighting the problem of decreasing sperm counts at the BBC 100 Women event in Delhi, India.
 * Da Silva holds a Diploma in Obstetric Ultrasound from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Royal College of Radiologists.
 * Da Silva is a Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and holds a Diploma of the Faculty of Family Planning (DFFP) from the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health Care.
 * Da Silva was a finalist for the 2019 Glasgow Times Scotswoman of the Year Award.