PREG is excited to welcome Dr. Lisa Marii Cookingham to our Columbia center. The daughter of an Air Force veteran, she has lived all over the U.S. and spent part of her childhood in Europe. Although new to the South, she, her husband, and two young daughters have already discovered the beauty of Lake Murray and are looking forward to becoming part of the local community. They are excited to learn more about the many cultural opportunities in our area, especially live theater, music, and dance. Their two Boston terriers are settling in well, too, the breed she and her family have fostered for various rescue organizations over the years.
Dr. Cookingham earned her medical degree at the University of Arizona and remained in the state to complete her training in obstetrics and gynecology at the Phoenix Integrated Residency Program. She then completed the fellowship program in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics where she trained with leaders in the fields of IVF and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.
Prior to joining PREG, Dr. Cookingham was an associate at The Center for Reproductive Health, a northern California component of the Kaiser Permanente heath care system. During this time, she established the center’s fertility preservation program and served as its director. She was also a clinical faculty member at UC Davis where she developed a reproductive endocrinology rotation for residents, served as its director, and received multiple awards for resident teaching and support.
Dr. Cookingham is inspired each and every day by her patients and profession. Whether she is helping patients achieve their dream of having a child, surgically treating women in the least invasive way possible, or providing those with cancer an opportunity to preserve their future fertility, Dr. Cookingham feels fortunate to have the opportunity to provide reproductive health care to women of all ages in the greater Columbia area and the Midlands.
