Alan R. Cohen, MD

Professional Titles

• Director, Johns Hopkins Pediatric Neurosurgery
• Carson-Spiro Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery
• Director, Neurosurgery Medical Student Education

Primary Academic Title

Professor of Neurological Surgery

Background

Centers and Institutes

• Pediatric Neurosurgery
• Pediatric Brain Tumor Center
• Pediatric Moyamoya Center

Videos

• Meet Our Expert: Alan Cohen, M.D. | Pediatric Neurosurgery

• Pediatric Brain Tumors - FAQs

• Pediatric Brain Tumors: Declan's Story

Recent News Articles and Media Coverage

• Pediatric Brain Tumor Surgery: Filip’s Story, Johns Hopkins Mediine (January 2025)

• Johns Hopkins Pediatric Moyamoya Center Opens, Johns Hopkins Medicine (Jan. 8, 2025)

• Maryland family celebrates Christmas after 3-year-old son survives brain tumor, WUSA-TV, (Dec. 25, 2024)

• New A.I. Tool Diagnoses Brain Tumors on the Operating Table, The New York Times, (Oct. 11, 2023)

• Fall at the pediatrician left Frederick 15-month-old minutes from death, WTOP-AM, (July 27, 2020)

• ‘Every Parent’s Worst Nightmare’: 15-Month-Old Frederick Boy Nearly Dies After Falling At Pediatrician’s Office, WJZ-TV  (July 21, 2020)

• 7-Year-Old Boy Forms Special Bond With Johns Hopkins Neurosurgeon Who Saved His Life, WJZ-TV CBS Baltimore, (Dec. 26, 2019)

• Collaboration Conquers a Rare Intracranial Cyst, e-Pediatrician (June 17, 2019)

• Doctors Find Air Pocket Hidden in Man's Brain CNN ( 3/14/2018)

• Boy's skull pierced with screw in treehouse-building accident CNN (Jan 26, 2018)

• Hopkins' Cohen Emphasizes 3 H's of Patient Care. NIH Record, (December 1, 2017)

Additional Academic Titles

Professor of Pediatrics, Professor of Oncology

Research Interests

New instruments and techniques for minimally invasive pediatric surgery

Lab Website

Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery - Lab Website

• Directed by Alan R. Cohen MD, Carson-Spiro Professor of Neurosurgery, Oncology and Pediatrics, the laboratory is focused on developing novel instruments and approaches to enhance the safety and efficacy of neurosurgical procedures. Current investigations include work in microsurgery, endoscopy, image guidance and robotic surgery. A cadaveric Skills Lab offers training in neurosurgical techniques.

Google Scholar

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=S2yOyKsAAAAJ&hl=en

PubMed

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Alan+R+Cohen

Research Gate

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alan-Cohen-4

Selected Publications

• Cohen AR (Editor-in-Chief):  Pediatric Neurosurgery:  Tricks of the Trade, NY:  Thieme, 2016.  (Textbook, 881 pp.)

• Cohen AR. Brain Tumors in Children The New England Journal of Medicine 386(20): 1922-1931, May 19, 2022

• Cohen AR:  Curiosity. Neurosurgery 65(1):  37-48, 2018.  (Honored Guest Presentation:  2017 Annual Meeting, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Boston, MA).

• Cohen AR:  Humility.  Neurosurgery 65(1):  6-14, 2018.  (Honored Guest Presentation:  2017 Annual Meeting, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Boston, MA)

• Cohen AR:  Simplicity. Neurosurgery 65(1):  15-23, 2018.  (Honored Guest Presentation:  2017 Annual Meeting, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Boston, MA).

Honors

• Honorary Faculty, Universidade Evangelica do Parana Curitiba, Brazil, 1/1/18
• Richard J. Otenasek, Jr. Faculty Teaching Award, Department of Neurosurgery from the Neurosurgery House staff Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1/1/18
• First Prize, Prose Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence for the textbook- Pediatric Neurosurgery: Tricks of the Trade, Association of American Publishers, 1/1/17
• Chairman's Award for Excellence in Teaching, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1/1/17
• Honored Guest, Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting Boston, Massachusetts, 1/1/17
• Honorary Faculty, Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting Boston, Massachusetts, 1/1/17
• First Prize, British Medical Association, ohen AR (Editor-in-Chief): Pediatric Neurosurgery: Tricks of the Trade, NY: Thieme, 2016. (Textbook, 881 pp.), British Medical Association, 1/1/17
• First Prize, Association of American Publishers, Prose Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence, Association of American Publishers, 1/1/17
• First Prize, for the textbook- Pediatric Neurosurgery: Tricks of the Trade, British Medical Association, 1/1/16
• Research Innovation Award Smart Start- A Novel Device for Minimally Traumatic Brain Dissection, Institute for Pediatric Innovation, 1/1/09
• Golden Stethoscope Award- Rainbow Clinical Faculty, Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, 1/1/08
• Children's Miracle Network National Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to Patient Care, Children's Miracle Network, 1/1/07
• Colors of the Rainbow Award, Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital Family Advisory Council, 1/1/06
• Scholarship in Teaching Award, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 1/1/05
• J. Horvitz Award for Excellence in Clinical Service, Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital Clinical Faculty, 1/1/04
• Faculty Alpha Omega Alpha Award, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 6/1/02
• Best Doctors in America, Woodward White, 1/1/97
• America's Top Docs, Castle Connolly, 1/1/96
• Summa cum Laude, Harvard University, 6/1/74
• Phi Beta Kappa, Harvard University, 6/1/74

Memberships

• American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons, Past President
• AANS/CNS Section on Pediatric Neurological Surgery, Past President
• Society of Neurological Surgeons, Past President
• Boston Society of Neurology and Psychiatry, Past President
• Ohio State Neurosurgical Society, Past President
• American Academy of Neurological Surgery, Past Vice President
• Hydrocephalus Association, Medical Advisory Board
• American College of Surgeons, Fellow
• American Academy of Pediatrics, Fellow
• American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Fellow

Professional Activities

• American Board of Neurological Surgery, Past Director
• American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery, Director
• Child's Nervous System, Editorial Board

Additional Training

• American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery (1997)