About

Linda Brubaker is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Her research activities and funding focus on the female urinary microbiome, urinary incontinence, and pelvic floor disorders. She has been involved in numerous NIH-funded projects, including studies on the urinary microbiome and urinary incontinence, and has contributed to the understanding of bladder health and the urogenital microbiome in women. Her work emphasizes patient-oriented models for urinary function and the integration of microbiome research into women's health. Dr. Brubaker's contributions include advancing knowledge in gynecology, urology, and microbiology, with a particular focus on the microbiome's role in urogenital health.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Computer Science
• Political Science
• Sociology
• Public relations
• Social Science
• Nursing
• Gynecology
• Medical education
• Psychology
• Pathology
• Psychiatry
• Management science
• Engineering
• Family medicine
• Law
• Engineering ethics
• Internal medicine
• Urology

Selected publications

• Parental Support for Trainees—The Clock Is Ticking

  JAMA · 2026-05-13

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Sunsetting the 2018 AUGS Best-Practice Statement on Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection

  Urogynecology · 2026-04-01

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Urinary Metabolomic Profile is Minimally Impacted by Common Storage Conditions and Additives

  International Urogynecology Journal · 2025-02-24 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Metabolomics reflects the molecular communications within biological systems. Urine is a noninvasive biofluid, rich in metabolites that serve as potential biomarkers for human health and disease. The impact of storage conditions and DNA stabilizers for urine samples in metabolomic studies remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of common storage conditions and the presence of a DNA stabilizer, AssayAssure® (Thermo Scientific), on the metabolite content of voided human urine. METHODS: We assessed the urinary metabolite composition under different storage conditions and with the addition of AssayAssure® to determine its effect on metabolomic analysis. RESULTS: Urinary metabolite composition remained consistent across different storage conditions. However, the addition of AssayAssure® significantly altered the metabolic profile due to adduct formation. Despite these alterations, the identification of parent metabolites was not compromised, and biological differences were still distinguishable. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that urine biobanked under the tested storage conditions is suitable for metabolomic analysis. The addition of AssayAssure® does not hinder the detection of parent metabolites, although it may affect the overall metabolic profile.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A mixed-methods scoping review on bladder self-care practices in women with and without lower urinary tract symptoms

  Continence · 2025-11-25

  articleOpen access

  This scoping review synthesized literature on women's bladder self-care practices by: 1) describing study characteristics; 2) identifying questionnaires used to assess self-care; and 3) summarizing behaviors relevant to bladder health. Five databases and reference lists were searched through April 2025 for qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies. Ninety-seven studies were included, identifying 107 behaviors grouped into four domains: Toileting and Bladder Management, Personal Care and Hygiene Practices, Lifestyle and Behavioral Strategies, and Therapeutic Interventions. Most studies focused on women with urinary symptoms, with few population-based samples. No comprehensive, validated questionnaire assessing the full scope of bladder self-care was identified. Women engage in diverse behaviors that may influence bladder health. A validated, multidimensional questionnaire is needed to assess these behaviors, identify risk and protective factors, and guide preventive interventions.

  PublisherDOI

• Women’s Health Is Everywhere—Introducing JAMA+ Women’s Health

  JAMA · 2025-09-05 · 2 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Correction for Moreland et al., “Rapid and accurate testing for urinary tract infection: new clothes for the emperor”

  Clinical Microbiology Reviews · 2025-05-14

  reviewOpen access

  Volume 38, no. 1, e00129-24, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1128/cmr.00129-24. Supplemental material: Table S1 was missing a citation, and Table S2 contained incorrect entries; comprehensive footnotes have been added for all tables. The correct tables are given in the revised supplemental file in this correction.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Polymicrobial Urine Cultures: Reconciling Contamination with the Urobiome while Recognizing the Pathogens

  Preprints.org · 2025-02-18

  preprintOpen access

  Polymicrobial or mixed urine cultures of more than one predominant microbe confound clinical urinary tract infection diagnosis. The current College of American Pathologists clinical laboratory standard states that a urine sample cultured with more than two isolates with >10,000 colony forming units/ml is to be considered contaminated. However, the presence of urinary sample bacteria in individuals without urinary symptoms (referred to as asymptomatic bacteriuria) is common especially in older people and in pregnant individuals. Furthermore, the discovery of an indigenous urinary microbiome (urobiome) in healthy humans throughout life from shortly after birth to death conflicts with the long-standing notion that urine derived from sterile filtered blood should be sterile above the urethral sphincter. Polymicrobial infections clash with Koch’s postulates that a single pathogen is causal for disease. In this review, we will discuss current standards of contamination, how to reconcile the sterility of urine with the existence of the urobiome, a history of polymicrobial infections, and why re-examining current practices is essential for the practice of medicine, improving quality of life, and potentially saving lives.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Reaffirming the JAMA Network Commitment to the Health of Patients and the Public

  JAMA · 2025-02-20 · 23 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Microbiologist in the Clinic: Pregnant Microbiologist with Asymptomatic Bacteriuria

  International Urogynecology Journal · 2025-11-19

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Associations of Self-Rated Deficits in Executive Function with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms, Adaptive Behaviors, and Bladder Health among Women

  Journal of Women s Health · 2025-09-22

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Poorer performance on standardized tests of cognitive function is associated with urinary incontinence (UI), overactive bladder, and poorer bladder health among people aged 40 and older. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether self-rated deficits in executive function domains (organization/problem solving, inhibitory control/self-restraint, self-regulation of emotions) are associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), perceived bladder health and function, and adaptive behaviors to prevent or manage UI among adult women across the life course. METHODS: = 1,551). RESULTS: Self-rated deficits in all evaluated domains of executive function were significantly associated with greater numbers and frequency of LUTS, including urgency and urgency UI; poorer perceived bladder health and function; and a greater tendency to locate bathrooms when entering new places. Associations were of similar magnitude across age categories ranging from emerging to older adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrate an association between self-rated executive function deficits and bladder function. Further research should test brain-bladder communication as a potential mechanism linking deficits in executive function to greater numbers and frequency of LUTS, poorer perceived bladder health and function, and greater engagement in adaptive behaviors to prevent or manage UI. Research is also needed to further evaluate whether associations between executive function and LUTS differ by life course stage.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• The Female Urinary Microbiome and Urinary Incontinence

  NIH · $3.1M · 2016–2022

• Urinary Bacterial Communities in Urge Incontinence Women

  NIH · $189k · 2013–2016

• NIH Grant U01DK060379

  NIH · $3.6M · 2011

• The Female Urinary Microbiome and Urinary Incontinence

  NIH · $300k · 2015–2016

• NIH Grant K24DK064044

  NIH · $459k · 2010

Frequent coauthors

• Holly E. Richter

  University of Alabama at Birmingham

  725 shared

• Halina M. Zyczynski

  University of Pittsburgh

  614 shared

• Susan Meikle

  607 shared

• Joseph I. Schaffer

  480 shared

• Peggy Norton

  Intermountain Healthcare

  432 shared

• Larry Sirls

  410 shared

• Mike Deegan

  Perspectives Charter School

  359 shared

• Karen E. Joynt Maddox

  Washington University in St. Louis

  359 shared

Labs

• UCSD Women's Reproductive Health Research ProgramPI

Education

• M.D., Obstetrics and Gynecology

  University of Illinois at Chicago

  1991

• B.S., Biology

  University of Illinois at Chicago

  1986