As a surgeon and a member of the School’s Leadership Council, Lawrence Cohn has an abiding interest in public health. “My wife, Roberta, and I haveseen a wide variety of health scenarios,” says Cohn. Seasoned travelers, they have visited every continent except Antarctica. “Given our experiences,” he says, “we felt that it was important to publicize health information in a way that would reach as many people as possible.”
The Cohns’ recent gift of $150,000 will go a long way toward achieving that goal. The couple established the Dr. Lawrence H. and Roberta Cohn Forums Fund, which will support four Forums every year for three years. The Forums at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, produced at and broadcast from the School’s Leadership Studio, feature leading experts discussing issues involving current policy choices and scientific controversies. “Over the years,” notes Cohn, “I’ve attended many Forums, and they have all been excellent. They are particularly exciting because they can be viewed anywhere with an Internet connection, including on mobile devices, so the Forums have the power to educate and inform great numbers of people.” Indeed, the content of the programs has been viewed and downloaded in more than 200 countries and territories.
The first Cohn Forum will be held around Valentine’s Day 2015, focusing on women’s heart disease. Cohn notes that although many people believe heart disease is much more common in men than in women, in fact the incidence is roughly the same, with heart disease the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. A future Cohn Forum will focus on telemedicine. “Roberta and I thought a lot about how to create the greatest impact with our contribution to the School,” says Cohn. “We are pleased that our philanthropy will provide knowledge on important health topics, with access for all.”
Lawrence Cohn has been a cardiac surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital for more than 40 years. Information about the Forums at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is available on the Forums website.