Dr. Beckel’s research focuses on the control of the urinary bladder; specifically how the bladder epithelium (also called the urothelium) participates in the sensory limb of the micturition reflex. The ultimate goal of this research is to understand how the urothelium and bladder afferent nerves communicate with each other to transmit sensory information about the bladder to the central nervous system and how changes in this communication play a role in the increased urgency and/or pain often felt by patients suffering from conditions such as overactive bladder (OAB) or Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome (IC/PBS). Recent research has focused on the role of purinergic signaling mechanisms in bladder pathology and the release of ATP from urothelial cells through 1) pannexin channels or 2) vesicular release from secretory lysosomes.