Laura Preves Helgeson

Laura is the founder of the non profit Let’s Talk UTI, the only US-based, patient advocacy organization shining a light on the issues associated with UTI, while providing valuable insights, supporting research, and furthering education to drive meaningful change.

Her life-long experience of having UTIs led to the creation of Let’s Talk UTI in 2023. Let’s Talk UTI and three of the world’s patient-centered organizations (Live UTI Free, Chronic UTI Australia and Chronic UTI Campaign) have formed the Alliance for Patient-centered UTI Research (APUR). Together, they are advancing the understanding and management of UTI through patient-centered research and advocacy.

Since the founding of Let’s Talk UTI, Laura has presented at a CAIRIBU Connections meeting titled “UTI Through the Lifespan - a Patient Perspective.” She also spoke at the NIDDK sponsored KUH Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She spoke at UW Madison in June 2024 for the Summer Program for Undergraduate Urology Research and, on behalf of APUR, at the UTI Global Alliance meeting in Columbus, OH in July 2024. Her story was recently featured in the Minnesota Women’s Press.

Laura was formerly a professional classical musician and an ordained, interfaith, minister.

She lives in Minneapolis, MN with her husband and two giant dogs.