Lab Members
Principal Investigator
Kevin Cox Jr., Ph.D.
Senior Staff Scientist at Washington University in St. Louis
Senior Research Scientist at Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Kevin earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2013. He then earned his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology at Texas A&M University in Libo Shan’s lab in 2018. Afterwards, he joined the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center for his post-doctoral experience in Blake Meyers’ lab. Kevin started his role as a PI in January 2024; he will be a joint faculty member as an Assistant Professor in Biology at WashU and an Assistant Member/PI at the Danforth Center starting in July 2024. Kevin enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids, playing/watching sports, and playing & streaming video games on his Twitch and YouTube platforms.
Lab Manager
Gus Vogt
Gus Vogt, a native of Saint Louis, initiated his career in plant sciences at Bayer Crop Sciences in 2017. His transition to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in 2020, working in Blake Meyers’ lab as a technician, sparked an even greater interest in plant sciences. This journey propelled him to his current role at WashU as a lab manager, where he is thrilled to contribute to the birth and growth of the Cox Lab. Outside of work, Gus enjoys camping, hiking, gardening, traveling, and watching the St. Louis Cardinals.
Visiting Scientists and Graduate Students
Lily O’Connor
Ph.D. Student at Washington University in St. Louis
Danforth Plant Sciences Fellow
Lily received her Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Puget Sound in 2018. Following a post-baccalaureate fellowship at the NIH, Lily joined the Plant and Microbial Bioscience graduate program at Washington University in Saint Louis. She is a member of Blake Meyers’ lab at UC-Davis and a visiting student in the Cox Lab at the Danforth Center. Her work focuses on understanding the gene regulatory networks controlling tapetal cell differentiation and development in maize. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, gardening, cooking, and playing soccer.
Mackenzie Kasarda
Visiting Research Associate
Mackenzie (Kenzie) earned her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at Columbia College-Missouri in 2022. Shortly after graduation, she joined the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in Blake Meyers' lab as a Lab Technician, before being promoted to a Research Associate. She is currently working on tissue culture and transformation in non-model plant species. Kenzie enjoys spending time with friends and family, going on walks with her dog, Marlow, and playing/watching slow-pitch softball.