Pinchas Cohen Recognized as the William and Sylvia Kugel Dean’s Chair in Gerontology

At a reception held at the Town and Gown, Pinchas Cohen, a preeminent researcher and leader in the field of gerontology, was welcomed to the university and officially installed as the William and Sylvia Kugel Dean’s Chair in Gerontology.  Cohen’s appointment as dean of the USC Davis School of Gerontology became effective Aug. 1, 2012.

Formerly vice chair for research at the UCLA School of Medicine, Cohen has overseen numerous teaching, training and research activities at UCLA and has been involved in programs related to diseases of aging, including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and metabolic disorders.  Focusing his research on the emerging field of mitochondrial biology, Cohen and his team have worked to demonstrate the importance of mitochondrial peptides in aging and longevity. He is co-founder of CohBar, a biotechnology company developing mitochondrial peptides for the treatment of diabetes.

Previously, he served as chief and professor of endocrinology at Mattel Children’s Hospital and associate director of the UCSD-UCLA Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Center. In addition to he roles as dean and chair, Cohen will also act as executive director of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center.