Jacques Cohen
| Jacques Cohen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
26 December 1951 The Hague, Netherlands |
| Nationality |
 Dutch |
| Institutions |
University of Cambridge Cornell University Reprogenetics Althea |
| Alma mater |
Erasmus University State University of Leiden |
| Known for |
reproductive medicine in-vitro fertilization cryopreservation |
Jacques Cohen (born December 26, 1951) is a Dutch embryologist living in New York, in the U.S. He is currently Director at Reprogenetics LLC,[1][2] Laboratory Director at ART Institute of Washington at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center[3] (a joint fertility program with NIH), and Scientific Director of R & D at IVF-online. He also serves as a project coordinator at Althea.
While working with Robert G. Edwards, he reported the freezing and successfully thawing of a human blastocyst for in vitro fertilization[4] as the Senior Embryologist at Bourn Hall Clinic, Cambridge. At the same clinic, he developed methods to treat male factor infertility using in vitro fertilization (IVF). He also co-cultured human embryos with helper cells to promote growth.[5]
Cohen is known for the application of micromanipulation techniques to operate on eggs, sperm and embryos. Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)[6] and Assisted Hatching[7] are now routinely used worldwide to aid in helping couples achieve pregnancy.[8]
He is the Senior Editor at Reproductive Biomedicine Online.[9] He has also held faculty positions at Emory University, Cornell University Medical College, and the University of Connecticut.
Early Career and education
Cohen was born in The Hague in The Netherlands. He received his B.Sc. in Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, from the State University of Leiden. He went on to receive an M.Sc. in Reproductive Physiology from Leiden University. In 1981, he was awarded his PhD in Medicine from Erasmus University for his thesis, Interaction between human spermatozoa and hamster oocytes.
Embryology
In 1982, Cohen joined Bourn Hall Clinic as an Embryologist, working with Patrick Steptoe and Robert G. Edwards on techniques geared towards improving human conception through in vitro fertilization (IVF). Robert G. Edwards was the recipient of the Nobel prize for Medicine and Physiology in 2010. It was in Cambridge that Cohen first successfully froze and thawed a human blastocyst for use in IVF.
Cohen also pioneered the use of micromanipulation techniques that are now widespread among embryologists. He developed a precursor technique of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), which is now used for treatment of nearly all male factor infertility diagnoses. Assisted Hatching (AH) is another commonly applied technique aimed at increasing implantation rates among infertile couples. Some of his work, such as cytoplasmic transfer, an attempt to boost development using the cytoplasm of donor eggs to supplement eggs from certain infertility patients, and single sperm freezing, has caused considerable ethical debate.[10]
Cohen holds nearly a dozen patents for inventions aimed at the treatment of infertility in couples. He has published over 150 peer reviewed papers in the field.
Honors and awards
- 1994 - Resolve Family Building Award. Award by Resolve - The National Infertility Association
- 1998 - The Embryologists Life Award "Significant Achievement Award." Awarded by Serono Laboratories, Inc.
- 2003 - Robert G. Edwards Science Award - American Infertility Association (AIA)
References
- ↑ Reprogenetics Meet Our Team.
- ↑ IVF.NET "Jacques Cohen - Embryo Selection" IVF.NET , 31 May 2009.
- ↑ ART Institute of Washington - About Us Jacques Cohen.
- ↑ Cohen, Jacques; Simons, Roger F.; Edwards, Robert G.; Fehilly, Carole B.; Fishel, Simon B. (1985). "Pregnancies following the frozen storage of expanding human blastocysts". Journal of in Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer. 2 (2): 59–64. doi:10.1007/BF01139337. PMID 4020239.
- ↑ Lai, YM; Stein, DE; Soong, YK; Tang, YX; Grifo, J; Malter, HE; Talansky, BE; Cohen, J; et al. (1992). "Evaluation of Vero cell co-culture system for mouse embryos in various media". Human reproduction. 7 (2): 276–80. PMID 1577944.
- ↑ Palermo, GD; Cohen, J; Alikani, M; Adler, A; Rosenwaks, Z (1995). "Intracytoplasmic sperm injection: A novel treatment for all forms of male factor infertility". Fertility and Sterility. 63 (6): 1231–40. PMID 7750593.
- ↑ Cohen, Jacques (1991). "Assisted hatching of human embryos". Journal of in Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer. 8 (4): 179–90. doi:10.1007/BF01130802. PMID 1753162.
- ↑ Moreno, C; Ruiz, A (1998). "Intracytoplasmic sperm injection as a routine indication in low responder patients". Human Reproduction. 13 (8): 2126–2129. doi:10.1093/humrep/13.8.2126. PMID 9756282.
- ↑ Reproductive Biomedicine Online Journal Info - Editorial Board
- ↑ Barritt, J. A.; Willadsen, S.; Brenner, C.; Cohen, J. (2001). "Cytoplasmic transfer in assisted reproduction". Human Reproduction Update. 7 (4): 428–35. doi:10.1093/humupd/7.4.428. PMID 11476356.