Dr. Sonal Pendharkar Kulkarni (Ph.D.) is a dedicated research scientist with an entrepreneurial mindset, committed to advancing women's health and wellbeing through innovative solutions. She earned her PhD in Medical Science from the prestigious Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, where her research focused on the vaginal microbiome in both Scandinavian and South African women. Through her research, Sonal has explored the impact of combining probiotics with standard & extended antimicrobial treatments for vaginal dysbiosis in highly recurrent cases, examining cure rates, prevention/delayed relapse, and engineering microbes to produce antiviral nanobodies. Currently, Sonal is channeling her extensive knowledge of the vaginal microbiome and her experience in healthcare technology and clinical trials into her work and driving the development of non-pharmacological treatments for vaginal infections at UVISA. Sonal herself has peer reviewed publications to her name and also contributes to the academic community by reviewing manuscripts pro bono, providing critical evaluations to maintain research quality leading to published articles. She has served as a scientific reviewer for PloS ONE, Frontiers in Physiology and JARG (Springer Nature).
If you've ever taken antibiotics for an infection, you may have felt the effects in your vagina. That’s because antibiotics don’t discriminate. While they often work well to clear any immediate infection, they also disrupt your vaginal microbiome, leaving you vulnerable to imbalance and new infections. The good news? Research shows that the vaginal microbiome can recover with the right support.
Recurrent vaginal infections aren’t just inconvenient – they’re painful, persistent, and deeply frustrating. Despite how common they are, many women feel dismissed or stuck in an endless loop of ineffective treatments. At UVISA, we know the first step in solving a problem is truly understanding it, and that starts with listening. Our research journey began with a simple goal: to understand what women are actually experiencing and how the current system is failing them. Here’s what they told us and what we learned.
Boric acid has become a last resort for women seeking relief from vaginal infections. Across social media and health forums, countless stories describe how using this household chemical seemed to succeed where other treatments failed, finally breaking the frustrating cycle of repeat infections. But what does the science actually say about boric acid? Is it safe? Effective? How does it work – and if it’s so promising, why isn’t it regulated? Let’s unpack the evidence (and the warnings that come with it).
