infection and inflammation

Name: Professor Jon Cohen M Sc FRCP FRCPath FRCPE FMedSci

Academic position: Professor of Infectious Diseases and Dean of the Medical School

Research: Clinical and scientific studies on severe sepsis and septic shock

Contact details:

Brighton and Sussex Medical School
University of Sussex
Falmer
Brighton BN1 9PX
UK

Tel: +44 (0)1273 877575 (Contact: Mary Gray, Exec Assistant - email: m.gray@bsms.ac.uk )
Fax: +44 (0)1273 877576

Biography:

1975 qualified MB BS Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, London
1980 Wellcome Fellow in Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Duke University Medical Center, N Carolina, USA
1985 Wellcome Senior Lecturer and Hon Consultant Physician in Infectious Diseases, Hammersmith Hospital & Royal Postgraduate Medical School
1992 Professor and Head of Department of Infectious Diseases & Bacteriology, RPMS
2002 Foundation Dean, Brighton & Sussex Medical School.

Teaching and training:

I have always had a keen interest in teaching. At Hammersmith Hospital, I was responsible for conceiving, planning and introducing the Masters course in Infectious Diseases, and supervised the planning and introduction of the M Sc in Molecular Medicine. I continue to teach at Hammersmith (now part of Imperial College), and am regularly asked to teach on postgraduate courses both in the UK and overseas. I greatly enjoy clinical teaching, both in small groups and at the bedside. At BSMS I teach both in the early years of the curriculum and during the clinical rotation in infectious diseases.

One of my long term interests has been in developing training programmes for trainees in infectious diseases. As Chair of the Royal College of Physicians Specialist Advisory Committee in Infectious Diseases, and later, Chair of the Joint College of Physicians and College of Pathologists Committee, I played a central role in piloting the proposals for joint accreditation in microbiology and infectious diseases though the various bureaucratic hoops that brought it into being.

I have successfully supervised 13 higher research degrees.

Research focus:

I am interested in the pathogenesis and treatment of severe bacterial infections, in particular sepsis and septic shock. My research initially focussed on Gram negative sepsis, and we carried out a number of studies on bacterial endotoxin and on the role of cytokines – in particular Tumour Necrosis Factor – in sepsis. As well as being the first to demonstrate in experimental studies that anti-TNF could be effective in therapy - as well as the prevention - of Gram negative sepsis, we also were the first people in the world to administer an anti-TNF antibody to a septic patient. Later, our interest turned to Gram positive infections, and we carried out a number of pivotal studies exploring the role of superantigenic toxins in severe streptococcal infections. I have played an active role in several international organisations concerned with infection and sepsis, and was recently Chair of the International Sepsis Forum.

Key/recent publications:

Edwards RJ, Taylor GW, Ferguson M, Murray S, Rendell N, Wrigley A, Bai Z, Boyle J, Finney SJ, Jones A, Russell HH, Cohen J, Faulkner L, Sriskandan S. Specific c-terminal cleavage and inactivation of interleukin-8 by invasive disease isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes. J Infect Dis 2005 192: 783-790

Kaltsas P, Wart SV, Cohen J. Development of a time to positivity assay as a tool in the antibiotic management of septic patients. Clin Microbiol Infect 2005 11: 109-114

Calandra T, Cohen J. Definitions of infection in sepsis. The International Sepsis Forum Definition of Infection in the ICU Committee. Crit Care Med 2005 33: 1538-1548

Noursadeghi M, Pepys MB, Gallimore JR, Cohen J. Relationship of granulocyte colony stimulating factor with other acute phase reactants in man. Clin Exp Immunol 2005 140: 97-100

Vincent JL, Laterre PF, Cohen J, Burchardi H, Bruining H, Alvarez Lerma F, Wittebole X, De Backer D, Brett S, Marzo P, Nakamura H, John S. A pilot-controlled study of a polymixin-B immobilized hemoperfusion cartridge in patients with severe sepsis secondary to intra-abdominal infection. Shock 2005 23: 400-405

Llewelyn M, Douek D, Kwok B, Peakman M, Sriskandan S, Cohen J, Altmann DM. HLA class II polymorphisms determine responses to bacterial superantigens. J Immunol 2004 172: 1719-1726

Dellinger RP, Carlet J, Masur H, Gerlach H, Calandra T, Cohen J, Gea-Banacloche J, Keh D, Marshall JC, Parker, MM, Ramsay G, Zimmerman JL, Vincent J-L, Levy MM. For the Surviving Sepsis Campaign Management Guidelines Committee. Surviving sepsis campaign management guidelines for management of severe sepsis and septic shock. Crit Care Med 2004 32: 858-873

Cohen J, Cristofaro P, Carlet J, Opal S. A new method of classifying infection in critically ill patents. Crit Care Medl. 2004 32 :1510-1526

Marshall JC, Foster D, Vincent J-L, Cook DJ, Cohen J, Dellinger RP. Opal S, Abraham E, Brett S, Smith T, Mehta S, Derzko A, Romaschin A. Diagnostic and prognostic implications of endotoxaemia in critical illness. Results of the MEDIC trial. J Infect Dis. 2004 190(3): 527-34

Fenwick P, Ryan C, Sriskandan S, Cohen J. Application of a rat model of streptococcal shock to evaluate on-line hemoperfusion and removal of circulating superantigens. Crit Care Med 2003 31: 171-178

Levy MM, Fink MP, Marshall JC, Abraham E, Angus D, Cook D, Cohen J, Opal SM, Vincent J-L, Ramsay G. The 2001 SCCM/ESICM/ATS/SIS International Sepsis Definitions Conference. Crit Care Med 2003 31(4): 1250-1256

Darenberg J, Ihendyane N, Sjolin J, Aufweber E, Haidl S, Follin P, StreptIg Study Group, Andersson J, Norrby-Teglund A. Intravenous immunoglobulin and therapy in streptococcal toxic shock syndrome – a European randomized double blind placebo controlled trial. Clin Infect Dis 2003 37: 333-40

Cohen J. Immunopathogenesis of sepsis. Nature 2002 420: 885-891

Editorial and other responsibilities:

Former Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Lead Editor, Infectious Diseases 2e
Editorial Board, Lancet Infectious Diseases
Editorial Board, PLoS Medicine
SE England Science and Technology Advisory Council
National Expert Panel on New and Emerging Infections, Department of Health
Medical Research Council
Infection and Immunology Board
Chair, Cancer Research UK CTAAC Committee
UKCRC/MMR Implementation Group
Subpanel member, RAE 2008