Jay N. Cohn, M.D., professor in the Division of Cardiology and director of the
Rasmussen Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at the University of Minnesota Medical School, is the recipient of Cornell University Weill Medical College Alumni Association's 2007 Award of Distinction for his notable achievements as a physician, scientist, and innovator. The award was presented at the Weill Cornell Medical College and Graduate School of Medical Sciences commencement ceremony in New York, N.Y.
Cohn is internationally known for his contributions to the understanding of cardiovascular disease and for his leadership in designing and carrying out clinical trials to examine new treatments for heart failure. His research has established the importance of structural remodeling of the left ventricle as the basis for the progression of heart failure and for the therapeutic response to drugs that prolong life and reduce long-term morbidity. He also organized and chaired the first long-term trial in heart failure, the Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study Program on vasodilator therapy of heart failure (V-HeFT).
In recent years he has focused efforts on early identification of cardiovascular disease in order to initiate therapy before organ system disease develops. His innovative efforts in early detection have included screening to diagnose stiffening of the small arteries, which uses a methodology he developed at the University of Minnesota. The method is now FDA-approved and marketed worldwide.
Cohn received his M.D. from Cornell University Medical School in 1956 and completed his internship and residency at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. He served as a fellow in cardiovascular research and as a clinical investigator at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital and Georgetown University from 1960 to 1965. He was chief of Hypertension and Clinical Hemodynamics at the VA Hospital from 1965 to 1974 and Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University. Dr. Cohn was head of the Cardiovascular Division at the University of Minnesota Medical School from 1974 to 1996.
The purpose of the Cornell University Weill Medical College Alumni Association's Award of Distinction is to recognize alumni who have brought honor and acclaim to the Medical College through their exemplary work and achievements.
