Dr. Michael Cohen honored with Richard T. Jones New Investigator Award
Given by the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon, this award recognizes a new investigator who shows exceptional promise early in a career in biomedical research.
November 30, 2015
At a recent award reception, the Richard T. Jones New Investigator Award was presented to Michael S. Cohen, Ph.D., assistant professor of physiology and pharmacology in the OHSU School of Medicine. Cohen's research program melds his background in chemistry with his postdoctoral training in cell biology and neuroscience and has already influenced the fields of chemical biology, cell biology and pharmaceutical chemistry. Cohen developed a novel strategy that combines chemistry and genetics to identify the direct targets of a family of enzymes known as PARPs (Poly-ADP ribose polymerases) in neurodevelopment. His work may have great impact on our understanding of ADP-ribosylation in biological processes ranging from immunology to cancer.
Established in 1942, the Medical Research Foundation promotes medical research achievement in Oregon. In addition to its annual honors, the MRF administers more than $1 million a year in research funding and early investigator grants that support the work of outstanding investigators at research institutions across the state. MRF grants help to sustain quality research programs, enabling Oregon researchers to compete more effectively for grants from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health. In 1994, the MRF became an affiliate committee of the OHSU Foundation, retaining its own unique mission and purpose to support Oregon biomedical research.