Dan Cox

Dan Cox serves as Dean of Natural Sciences in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University. He holds a B.S. in Biology from Wake Forest University and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Duke University, where he was an NIH pre-doctoral fellow. His postdoctoral training included a Jane Coffin Childs Fellowship and HHMI Research Associate position at UCSF.

His educational trajectory includes:

• B.S. magna cum laude with honors in Biology, Wake Forest University (1992)
• Ph.D. in Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center (1999)
• Postdoctoral training: Jane Coffin Childs Fellow & HHMI Research Associate, UCSF (2000-2004)

Cox leads an internationally recognized neuroscience research program focused on neuronal diversity, circuit construction, and neural mechanisms of behavior—particularly pain perception and sensory neuropathies. His expertise spans neurobiology, cell biology, genetics, and computational modeling, with emphasis on multimodal sensory processing and brain plasticity. His lab has maintained continuous NIH funding for 20 years.

His recent publications reveal dual research thrusts: fluid dynamics studies on drag reduction in pipe flows (examining vortex dynamics, Reynolds number effects, and wall oscillation techniques) and genetic engineering work including CRISPR-Cas9 delivery systems for immune system gene screening. This combination reflects interdisciplinary collaboration across engineering and biological domains.

Key recognitions include:

• NIH pre-doctoral fellowship
• Jane Coffin Childs Fellowship for Medical Research
• HHMI Research Associate appointment

Cox demonstrates exceptional commitment to mentoring across career stages and advancing student success through innovative pedagogies. His leadership extends to directing research centers, imaging facilities, and graduate programs—including roles as Director of the Center for Neuromics and Neuroscience Institute at Georgia State University. His NIH-funded research supports extensive interdisciplinary collaboration and training initiatives.

Throughout his career, Cox has cultivated collaborative research environments through leadership in core facilities and interdisciplinary clusters, notably directing the 2CI Neurogenomics Fellowship and Brains & Behavior initiatives. His current deanship emphasizes cross-college research integration within ASU's liberal arts framework.