Vets First Podcast S3 E2: Guiding the way to meaningful research: Dr. Lina Kubli

In this episode, Dr. Levi Sowers and Brandon Rea interview Dr. Lina Kubli, the Rehabilitation Research & Development Scientific Program Manager for Sensory Systems/Communication Disorders.

Dr. Kubli was born in India and lived there until age 7, before moving the United States and settling in Maryland. She attended college at the University of Maryland, initially majoring in Biochemistry, then switching to Hearing and Speech. In this time, Dr Kubli learned that she wanted to not only participate in clinical work but also interact with people while staying within research.

She earned a Master’s in Audiology from the University of Maryland and worked with Veterans at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) as a research scientist, studying Central Auditory Processing disorders and Traumatic Brain Injury. She then earned a Ph.D in Audiology at Gallaudet University.

In this episode, Dr. Kubli explains what it means to be a scientific program manager and how she oversees the program within the Rehabilitation Research and Development Service. She evaluates a broad range of funding applications for research that include vision, hearing, balance, communication and more. Many of the panel members are from outside of VA to ensure that the most knowledgeable reviewers help navigate a project being implemented. Dr. Kubli shares how this work supports important research that benefits Veterans.