Sonal Pendharkar Kulkarni

Sonal is the CSO & Co-founder of Uvisa Health, a medtech start-up building world's first drug-free, vaginal light therapy device to target common vaginal infections. A scientist-turned-entrepreneur whose career path has been shaped by both academic excellence and personal conviction. With a Ph.D. in Medical Science from the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sonal’s early research centered on the vaginal microbiome and its critical role in managing recurrent vaginal infections. Her pioneering work exploring the combined effect of probiotics and antimicrobial treatments sparked more than just scientific curiosity; it ignited a mission to bridge the gap between research and real-world care for women.

While driving the company vision & mission with her founder partner, Sonal leads the scientific development at Uvisa, where the team is developing the world’s first home-use, drug-free vaginal phototherapy device to treat common vaginal infections like bacterial vaginosis (BV) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). Uvisa’s novel light-based therapy offers a faster, localized, and side-effect-free alternative, targeting harmful bacteria and yeast while preserving beneficial lactobacilli.