Cohen also is J. Herbert Bate Distinguished Professor of medicine and of microbiology and immunology in the UNC School of Medicine. He is UNC's associate vice chancellor for global health, chief of infectious disease medicine in the medical school, and director of the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases.

 

The award, given to individuals for their commitment to the fight against AIDS and for contributions to improving HIV care in marginal populations, was announced on Dec. 1, recognized globally as World AIDS Day.

Cohen was given the Hope is a Vaccine award for his dedication to providing a scientific foundation for the Treatment as Prevention concept. Cohen is principal investigator of a landmark study, HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 052, which shows that early treatment of HIV-infected individuals with antiretrovirals led to a 96 percent reduction in transmission to their uninfected partners.

 

Cohen's primary research focus is on transmission and prevention of transmission of HIV, with emphasis on the role played by STD co-infections. Much of his research has been conducted in resource constrained countries, particularly Malawi, South Africa and the People's Republic of China.

 
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu.