Michigan State University has appointed Charles “Lee” Cox professor and chair of the Department of Physiology, a department affiliated with the colleges of Human Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Natural Science. Cox will begin at MSU in late spring.
Cox comes to MSU from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His chief research interest is neural plasticity, which is the brain’s ability to adapt to changes in inputs and is essential for brain development and function. A goal of the research is to gain insight into pathological conditions such as epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as developmental brain disorders such as Fragile X syndrome and autism.
"Lee brings a strong neuroscience research portfolio that both complements our current areas of research and also offers fresh opportunities for new investigation into other neurological conditions, such as epilepsy and autism," said Marsha D. Rappley, dean of the College of Human Medicine.
Cox received his Ph.D. in physiological psychology/neuroscience from the University of California, Riverside, where he also received his master’s and bachelor’s degrees. He is a reviewer for several neuroscience journals and funding agencies including the National Institutes of Health. His research has been continuously funded by multiple NIH institutes and private research foundations.