Don’t Be Shy: Talking Urology with Zhina Sadeghi, MD

For Urology Awareness Month, Zhina Sadeghi, MD, wants to normalize talking about bladder leakage. Learn how she cares for patients while advancing research to improve pelvic health.

September is Urology Awareness Month, and the theme for 2025 is “Bladder Leakage: Time to Act.” To help build awareness, UC Irvine’s School of Medicine is spotlighting Zhina Sadeghi, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Urology and a recipient of the school’s Rising Stars Award.

“Bladder leakage affects millions of people across the whole world,” says Sadeghi. “About 50% to 60% of adults at some point in their life experience some level of leakage for different underlying reasons.” Yet this condition is rarely discussed, often because people are embarrassed or assume it’s a normal part of aging.

Sadeghi is here to set the record straight about bladder leakage and other problems related to the urological system. As a leading pioneer in the development of a multidisciplinary pelvic health center at UC Irvine, she is passionate about caring for her patients while also advancing research that aims to improve their quality of life.

Let’s Talk Urology

One of Sadeghi’s main research areas is understanding the role of urethra aging in urinary incontinence, particularly in women. “People should not suffer through this, think it is normal or assume that it’s only happening to them,” she stresses. While bladder leakage can happen as people grow older, it should not be viewed as a “normal” part of aging. It is a medical issue that can be treated, but proper diagnosis is key.

“There can be cultural barriers that keep people from wanting to discuss these kinds of issues, but please don’t be shy in asking your physician for a referral to a urologist,” says Sadeghi. “I work to connect with patients in a very intimate way, addressing problems they’re not comfortable discussing with their physician.”

And this is just one of many areas of concern. “We care about many different aspects of pelvic health at UC Irvine and UCI Health, tackling problems that are often underdiagnosed and under cared for,” says Sadeghi. “We connect all these different layers as a multidisciplinary team with expertise in how the various organs of the urological system communicate neurologically and physiologically inside the body.”

Drawn to Medicine

Sadeghi, who outside of work loves exploring history and social culture, swimming, and spending time with her 8-year-old twin daughters, was pulled into the field of medicine through her desire to help others.

“I always wanted to do something to help improve people’s lives, and medicine — that close connection people have with their physician — just seemed to resonate with my soul,” she says. “Initially, I wanted to become a heart surgeon, but I became a ‘plumber’ surgeon instead!”

Her research as a medical student at the University of Tehran led to the shift in focus. “Early on, I was drawn to this field of urology through research in pediatric urology at Tehran,” she explains. She then completed her postdoc and residency at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, before accepting a fellowship at the University of Michigan, known for its training in reconstructive and functional urology. Two years later, in 2022, she joined UC Irvine’s School of Medicine.

“I was lucky to get this opportunity at UC Irvine, with such collaborative faculty and advanced mentorship,” she says. “There are so many resources for me to learn and grow here as a surgeon scientist.”

Sadeghi has worked to help build a complex reconstructive urology program, focused on multidisciplinary care offered in collaboration with other surgical specialties, especially colorectal surgery, and other medical specialties, including infectious disease, internal medicine and neurology. “We developed a preliminary complex pelvic health reconstruction and care program in less than three years through partnerships with other departments,” she says. “The collaboration and support at UC Irvine have been above and beyond my expectations.”

Advancing Pelvic Health

Sadeghi’s research is guided by her commitment to translating scientific discoveries into improved patient care. To advance this mission, she has partnered with her colleague, Michael Wu, PhD, a biochemist in the Department of Urology.

“Together, we are working to establish a model for how physicians and scientists can closely collaborate to address complex clinical problems,” says Sadeghi. They are conducting this work within the Surgical Molecular Innovation Laboratories (SMILES), a departmental initiative dedicated to fostering an environment where innovation and clinical progress go hand in hand across multiple domains of urology.

The collaboration is already yielding results through projects aimed at uncovering the underlying causes of urinary incontinence and urethral dysfunction in women.

“We have identified potential new therapeutic targets and are developing urinary biomarkers for early detection of neurologic disease and urologic disorders such as neurogenic bladder,” says Sadeghi. “By integrating clinical insight with molecular science, we are creating a framework that advances translational research and drives innovation in patient care.”

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