She studied chemistry at Albertus Magnus College, medicine at the University of Vermont, and became certified in her field in Boston in 1956.
As their first pediatric cardiologist, she noticed that children with a rare type of heart defect called pulmonary valve stenosis often had a characteristic physical appearance with short stature, webbed neck, wide-spaced eyes, and low-set ears.
Dr. Noonan moved on to the fledgling University of Kentucky medical school in 1961, where she served for over forty years.
An endowed chair in pediatric research has been established in her name, and while she semi-retired as of 2007, she was still working at age 85 as of February 2014.
[5][6] Aside from the rare distinction of having a medical condition named after her, Noonan has received numerous other honors, including the 1971 Helen B. Frazer Award, the 1985 Harpers Bazaar's Best Women Doctors in America, and later The Best Doctors in America award.