Join host Melissa from Live UTI Free as she speaks with Dr. Indira Mysorekar, a pioneer in urinary tract infection research whose lab uncovered how Escherichia coli can hide in reservoirs within the bladder and then re‑emerge to trigger recurrent UTIs. Together, they explore how bladder health differs between people assigned female at birth and those assigned male, how menopause and chronic inflammation increase UTI risk, and what the future of diagnostics and care might look like. Whether you’re battling recurrent UTIs, living with chronic urinary symptoms, or just want to understand the science behind bladder‑health issues, this episode offers insight, support, and actionable ideas grounded in research.

3 Key Takeaways

• Dr. Mysorekar explains that in many recurrent UTI cases, bacteria aren’t simply coming and going; they may persist hidden within bladder tissue in what she calls “quiescent intracellular reservoirs,” then re‑emerge to cause symptoms.
  
  
  
• Chronic bladder inflammation (even in the absence of a classic culture‑positive infection) can damage the bladder’s barrier cells, turning “normal” urine into an irritant and priming the bladder for future infection.
  
  
  
• The “female bladder” (people with female anatomy) is biologically distinct (and under‑researched) compared to the male bladder; menopause and hormone changes significantly raise the risk of recurrent UTIs, so care needs to look beyond “take antibiotics and go home.”

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