Dr. Lexi Heger – Postdoc, 2026 – present
Lexi joined the Stewart Lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow in 2026 after earning her Ph.D. in Plant Pathology and Molecular Plant Sciences from Michigan State University. She also holds a B.S. in Agriculture (Horticulture) from The Ohio State University. Backed by a USDA-NIFA AFRI Predoctoral Fellowship, her doctoral research focused on the population dynamics via air sampling and management of grapevine pathogens (B. cinerea, E. necator, and P. Viticola). She specialized in building molecular detection tools using real-time qPCR and digital PCR (dPCR), as well as identifying host disease resistance loci through Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and understanding infection profiles of grapevine downy mildew cryptic species via transcriptomics. During her time, she enjoyed collaborating across the department and created two review guides on air sampling for plant pathology. Now, at CSU, she is leveraging this expertise in molecular diagnostics, spore trapping, and genomics to investigate Cytospora species affecting tree fruit across Colorado.