Cohen Named Glenn Blodgett Equine Chair At Texas A&M
Story by Megan Myers, VMBS Communications
Dr. Noah Cohen, a Texas A&M University Distinguished Professor of equine internal medicine, has been selected to hold the Glenn Blodgett Equine Chair at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS).
Cohen has spent more than three decades conducting research, teaching students, and treating patients as a faculty member in the VMBS’ Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (VLCS). He also serves as the associate department head for research and graduate studies and previously served as the Patsy Link Chair in Equine Research.
Cohen and his Equine Infectious Disease Laboratory are well known for developing vaccines and treatments for Rhodococcus equi pneumonia, one of the leading causes of death and disease in foals.
Some of his other projects include working to reduce the impact of antibiotic resistance in horses, developing diagnostic tests and a vaccine for strangles, and studying several other relevant diseases with the overall goal of improving equine health.
Cohen was recommended for the Glenn Blodgett Equine Chair by a committee of four faculty members from within and beyond the VMBS.
“Dr. Cohen’s research area of interest, history of successful research funding and subsequent publication, and outstanding reputation for mentorship of graduate students make him an obvious choice,” said a committee member. “Dr. Cohen is a superb scholar and excellent scientist who has transformed the field of equine veterinary medicine with his seminal discoveries.
“Dr. Cohen has been rigorous in his investigation of infectious diseases of horses and has been adaptable to keep veterinary medicine at the cutting edge of medical discovery,” the committee member continued. “His ability to apply discovery in animal models to advancement of medical research has been instilled in his trainees and will have a lasting and indelible mark on our profession.”
Cohen earned his Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris (VMD) degree (equivalent to a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) from the University of Pennsylvania in 1983, followed by a Master of Public Health and Ph.D. in epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University in 1986 and 1988, respectively.
He joined the VMBS faculty in 1988, completed a large animal internal medicine residency at Texas A&M in 1991, and became a board-certified member of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Large Animal Internal Medicine) in 1992.
His courses for undergraduate, graduate, and veterinary students cover topics such as equine infectious diseases, host-pathogen interaction, and large animal clinical skills. In addition, he has served as a mentor for numerous undergraduate and graduate students, veterinary residents, and postdoctoral researchers.
In addition to being one of only 60 faculty members at Texas A&M recognized as a University Distinguished Professor, the highest level of achievement for faculty, Cohen has received more than two dozen honors and awards for his excellence in research, teaching, and patient care.
The Glenn Blodgett Equine Chair was established in 2011 in honor of the late Dr. Glenn Blodgett ‘74, a leader in equine veterinary medicine and a VMBS Distinguished Alumnus. It was created to support the Equine Initiative, a collaboration between the VMBS and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Department of Animal Science.
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Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216
