When Heiko Jansen’s familiar face approaches, Kio and Peeka are all attention, their big bear muzzles filling the pen door. A few days ago, the 11-year-old, 400-pound female grizzlies spent 95 percent of their time in a lethargic state—just lying around. But with the coming of spring, everything has changed. After five months of hibernation, […]

Researchers in the labs of Dr. Heiko Jansen and Dr. Joanna Kelly use RNA-sequencing to reveal the tissue and seasonal transcriptional changes occurring in grizzly bears. To learn more, follow the link below. Article courtesy The Wildlife Society– David Frey, Sept 27, 2019

Learn how joint work between WSU and U Idaho is contributing to a better understanding of grizzly bear thermoregulation and their ability to meet environmental challenges and its implications regarding climate change. The research was part of a joint effort by researchers at Washington State University, the University of Idaho, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, U.S. […]

WSU researchers continue to explore the amazing biological adaptation that is hibernation. See how our WSU bears offer a unique opportunity to observe this natural phenomena annually and its implications for better understanding human metabolic diseases. See some of the work highlighted in the CBS News Sunday Morning piece.