Professor Cohen completed his medical degree at Charing Cross Hospital Medical School in 1975 and has worked in the NHS in the field of infectious diseases for over 30 years, becoming Chair and Head of Department at Hammersmith Hospital and Imperial College School of Medicine.
His research interest is severe bacterial infections and he has an international reputation for his work in helping to develop new forms of treatment for sepsis and septic shock. He was the founding Dean of Brighton and Sussex Medical School, which has already provided over 700 new doctors to the NHS.