Esteemed Equine Infectious Disease Investigator Dr. Noah Cohen Receives AAEP Research Award

The American Association of Equine Practitioners presented its 2024 AAEP Research Award to Noah Cohen, VMD, MPH, PhD, DACVIM, for his recent research into equine strangles and Rhodococcus equi that has resulted in significant advances in understanding the pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. 

The AAEP Research Award recognizes an individual who has completed research that has or will make a significant impact on the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of equine disease. Dr. Cohen accepted his award Dec. 10 during the President’s Luncheon at the AAEP’s 70th Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla.  

Dr. Cohen is a distinguished professor and associate department head, Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Throughout his career, he has authored or co-authored 293 papers and 35 review articles in refereed journals. His recent research involves the pathophysiology of Rhodococcus equi including detection, risk factors, antibiotic resistance, hyperimmune plasma treatment and use of an RNA (ribonucleic acid) vaccine. He has also completed research on Streptococcus strains in horses. 

According to his co-nominators Drs. Nathaniel White, Bill Moyer and C. Wayne McIlwraith, “Both diseases represent significant morbidity with a negative economic impact on the horse industry. Dr. Cohen’s recent inventions include a serological test for strangles and an RNA vaccine for Rhodococcus foal pneumonia both in the past two years.” 

Dr. Cohen received his veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1983. After two years in private equine practice, he completed MPH and PhD degrees in epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University followed by a large animal internal medicine residency at Texas A&M. He joined the Texas A&M faculty as an assistant professor of equine medicine in 1991.  

Dr. Cohen has served on the AAEP’s Infectious Disease and Research committees, and he delivered the Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture on the topic of equine epidemiology at the 2011 AAEP Annual Convention. His numerous other accolades include the 2002 John Hickman Memorial Lecture at the British Equine Veterinary Association Congress, 2008 Schering-Plough Applied Equine Research Award, 2015 Zoetis Award for Excellence in Research, and 2019 AVMA Clinical Research Award. 

About AAEP

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its over 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.