Avi Cohen is pursuing an MD at Harvard Medical School where he plans to study precision medicine and public health. He attended Yale University (Summa Cum Laude) and was awarded the Polunin Cup for scholarly achievement, as well as the Edgar J. Boell Prize for Excellence in Senior Research. He attended the University of Cambridge where he received the Health Data Research Scholarship for the Master’s in Population Health Sciences. 

While conducting research in the Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care at Yale School of Medicine, Avi researched biomarkers used to assess disease and infection status in the intensive care unit. He has published work in Thorax and the European Clinical Respiratory Journal.  

His more recent work has focused on precision approaches to treating asthma, leading to several additional publications and research posters at multiple international conferences. He served as Director of Medical Debt and Insurance Counseling while at HAVEN Free Clinic, working with patients to navigate the complexities of the healthcare system. He served as President of Yale Splash, where he worked to provide local middle and high school students with opportunities to kindle their academic and personal passions outside of school. He was President of the Living History Project, an organization which seeks to improve the patient experience by interviewing hospitalized patients about their life stories. 

Avi hopes to increase public health efforts to combat chronic lung diseases, a research area that is currently severely underfunded despite being one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. He is particularly interested in utilizing data-driven approaches to identify opportunities for interventions that prioritize the unique needs of communities, as well as working to increase sustainability in healthcare and mitigating the health harms of climate change for humans and the planet. 

Avi grew up in the small town of South Burlington, Vermont where he first became passionate about science and medicine while doing research on water-efficient irrigation systems at the University of Vermont. He enjoys spending his free time running, hiking, and being in nature. He is also fascinated by astronomy, and loves to stargaze and watch meteor showers.