PrintAvis Cohen Named 2010-2011 UMD Distinguished Scholar-Teacher
Thu, Feb 10, 2011
Avis Cohen, professor of biology and Institute of Systems Research, is one of four University of Maryland faculty to be named a 2010-2011 Distinguished Scholar-Teacher. The award honors tenured faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments as educators and notable achievements in their respective fields. Each scholar will present a lecture during the school year, and the award carries an honorarium to support professional activities.
Cohen is a pioneer in her field of computational neuroscience, which combines mathematics, neuroscience, engineering and biology.
A biologist, Cohen works with teams in the Institute for Systems Research to understand and ultimately repair human systems (e.g. nervous and motor control) with her research focusing on the spinal cord. Her landmark research of a primitive vertebrate as a model for more complex locomotion has encouraged other scholars to cross academic boundaries.
"We're all working toward the same goal," she says. "To answer questions of the magnitude we have, one needs an interdisciplinary approach."
Cohen established the university's Neuroscience and Cognitive Science program more than a decade ago, and today is a sought-after lecturer at international scientific conferences who has published scores of articles. She possesses the ability to translate complex research into layman's language, appearing in popular publications where she illustrates the applicability of her and colleagues' work.
Cohen applies her collaborative approach to teaching, directly involving graduate and undergraduate students in her technical research. Former doctoral mentees have moved on to prestigious university science programs and medical schools, such as University College, London; Northwestern University; and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in New York. To improve the number of women scientists, she directs and is a principal investigator of the ADVANCE National Science Foundation grant awarded to Maryland to support women in the sciences.
