Dr. Cohen is the Yeargan-Bate Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, and Epidemiology, Associate Vice Chancellor for Global Health and Medical Affairs, and Director of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina. His research work focuses on the transmission and prevention of transmission of STD pathogens including HIV.
Dr. Cohen is recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on the transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. He is the principal investigator of HPTN 052, a multinational trial which demonstrated that antiretroviral treatment reduces the sexual transmission of HIV by 96 percent. Dr. Cohen began his HIV work in the early 1980s and has spent a large part of his career conducting research in resource-limited countries, most notably China and Malawi. He helped launch UNC Project-Malawi, which collaborates with Malawi Ministry of Health to provide technical assistance in the design of clinical management guidelines for HIV and STDs.
Dr. Cohen received his M.D. degree from Rush Medical College. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Disease Society of America and is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation and the American Association of Physicians. He was elected to the Institute of Medicine in 2012.
