Mini Med School creator earns national award

Cohen

J. John Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., professor of immunology and medicine and founder of the University of Colorado's Mini Med School, has been named the recipient of the 2010 Award for Public Understanding of Science & Technology, given by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

The award committee said Cohen "has dedicated his career to thinking of new ways to share the excitement and importance of science with the general public." Previous recipients of the award include Carl Sagan, NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco, andNeil DeGrasse Tyson.

More than 17,000 people, from kids to grandparents, have attended Mini Med School, the free series of talks on medical science that began in 1989. Cohen also started Denver's Café Scientifique, a public forum for scientific discussions.