https://thebedfordlab.com/publications daily 0.75 2025-07-16 https://thebedfordlab.com/home daily 1.0 2025-07-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/1628005832651-8237GMY1CSZ6ZKO9F5TW/IMG_4524_goodEars.jpg Home - Behavioral adaptations to ecological challenges We integrate behavioral ecology with transcriptomic profiling of key brain regions to investigate how rodents adapt to physiological challenges. Our research focuses on uncovering the genetic and neural mechanisms underlying social thermoregulation and torpor. Image credit: Nicole Bedford https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/1628005404884-6YYC31LYPW689RY4O7PT/Image20210113_NB28_EFI_DAPI_CTB488_CTB555_TH647_06.vsi+-+Image20210113_NB28_EFI_DAPI_CTB488_CTB555_TH647_06.vsi+%232+Composite.png Home - The neural basis of context dependent urination Voluntary micturition—the decision of when and where to release urine—is a precisely regulated cognitive process in both humans and rodents. Using the laboratory mouse genetic toolkit, we investigate the anatomy and function of the central micturition circuit and how it changes over the lifespan. Image credit: Nicole Bedford https://thebedfordlab.com/join-us daily 0.75 2025-07-16 https://thebedfordlab.com/values daily 0.75 2025-07-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/1628028525615-J6YO0KWKX0IXMJ8WVTXF/LabPoster_vMice2.png Values https://thebedfordlab.com/research daily 0.75 2025-07-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/3b09bff6-3431-48a7-8913-179754c8d32b/mouse844.jpg Research - Context dependent micturition Mice form social dominance hierarchies. Social rank influences multiple aspects of biology, including behavior and physiology. In mice, one clear indicator of social status is urination pattern. We are investigating the neural circuits that connect social hierarchy to micturition behavior, and how these circuits emerge and mature across development. Image credit: Igor Stramyk https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/01cba4cc-8278-4ce2-a9dd-376d374a862d/270_NOC1_BLADDER_wholebrain_ROI_1_B.jpg Research - Aged mice as a new model for nocturia Urination patterns change as we age. We use aging mice to model nocturia, a common and disruptive condition in older adults characterized by nighttime urination. Our work shows that aging disrupts the circadian regulation of urination and bladder gene expression, including loss of rhythmic Piezo1—a mechanosensory ion channel. These findings highlight a novel link between circadian dysfunction and bladder sensitivity, pointing to new therapeutic avenues. Image credit: Albert Allotey (Bedford Lab) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/ca8643bb-dcd1-4323-ae77-21661a1357c3/Chipmunk.jpeg Research - The effect of hibernation on learning and memory Chipmunks adapt to Wyoming winter. We are investigating the ecological causes and consequences of shifting torpor patterns in chipmunks. Using behavioral and transcriptomic approaches, we are characterizing changes in cognitive function and gene expression in the brains of hibernating animals. Our goal is to uncover the cellular and molecular basis of torpor-related changes in learning and memory. Image credit: Cindy Goeddel https://thebedfordlab.com/people daily 0.75 2025-09-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/0f735a05-3198-4abe-b31e-b2753e876d89/NLB_Florida.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/e0cc4116-acac-4208-a7f1-fd5c15fdbf02/MV_winnie.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/01d97179-c5b1-4b9c-a29e-a70a7a726806/Danielle_Taylor.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/74d0a786-9303-45f4-a820-1c613fe4c163/Rachel_Profile.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/a74fa9b5-d10e-4265-af66-a9ea212f3c9b/Samantha_Killmer.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/ffe935c0-fc67-4865-92d9-60f07630642d/IMG_7639.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/e1e56e7c-0505-4566-936d-f91cc5330e46/Eleanor_Veauthier.png https://thebedfordlab.com/news daily 0.75 2025-07-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/5155ea9c-b584-4c54-bc6a-66cb8569b074/Will_Alaska.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/11f72506-725c-45f6-8592-f52f35d406ee/Spring2024_posterpresentation.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/2750fa9a-1a59-4b4b-ab36-746798382d4b/Fanelli_ABS_20230712_2.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/cc4aba2e-b5d0-4527-a4a8-367aab6107ea/McKinzie_poster.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/0bc3b475-1c9a-4529-b141-5326663a84b2/McKinzie_talk.jpg https://thebedfordlab.com/resources daily 0.75 2025-12-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/fcc40134-c3b6-4c88-9588-cc43ea6ac190/IMG_4524_goodEars.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/533aeb2e-ec54-4ca0-b239-9781655bb346/IMG_4762_crop_goodEars.jpg https://thebedfordlab.com/alumni daily 0.75 2025-09-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/d1c7bba3-ea0d-4294-9db9-49969383192c/Will+Gerdes.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/6ab1f100-9d2a-4fe2-a876-f8ce3c154d72/Grace_Baas.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/577c2fdc-761a-4582-ad04-5a92335eab9e/KaylynnHoglin.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/9f319d00-6d5a-41a3-9326-8bbc913786f5/RyanPitesky.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/3939450c-8f50-4786-a399-018517df0dc3/MWade+Senior+Pic.jpg https://thebedfordlab.com/lab-photos daily 0.75 2025-07-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/07981dda-a84b-46d4-9d93-f663f1d22c0e/BedfordText.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/ec5f8a1d-bced-492a-8712-c3b061427c03/Veedawou2.jpg Lab Photos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/86d4186f-0147-4990-8dc4-a8adb30c055c/MedBow_Aug2023.jpg Lab Photos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/848d499d-4efd-46e0-b268-e647313fd146/IMG_1266.jpg Lab Photos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6102d7cab809e277414ec318/72a4d632-f4de-4a16-9757-b0127e5f8ad2/PumpkinCarving.jpg Lab Photos