Surgeon-in-Chief, Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery
Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital
Dr. Alan “Big Al” Cohen has been helping children for more than 20 years, as a world-recognized neurosurgeon with a big heart and an extra special relationship with all of his patients. He has been leading Rainbow’s neurological surgery division since 1994 and became surgeon-in-chief in 2003. He is also the Reinberger Professor of Neurological Surgery and Pediatrics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Director of the Neurosurgery Residency Program at Case.
Dr. Cohen received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University where he graduated summa cum laude, phi beta kappa. He completed his medical training at Cornell University Medical College. He did his postgraduate training at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, New York University Medical Center and at the National Hospital in Queen Square, London, England.
Dr. Cohen is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a Diplomate of both the American Board of Neurological Surgery and the American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery.
Dr. Cohen is a member of numerous professional organizations including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons and the Society of Neurological Surgeons. He is a member of the executive committee of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons and the Pediatric Section of the AANS and served as past president of the Ohio State Neurosurgical Society.
He is Director of the Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Laboratory at Case, where he has mentored residents and postdoctoral research fellows and developed new neurosurgical instruments. He has served as Director of the national AANS Practical Course on Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery for over 15 years.
Dr. Cohen is chief editor of the International Journal of Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery and serves on the editorial boards of Neurosurgery and Pediatric Endosurgery. He has authored countless articles, chapters and books and has guest-lectured around the globe. He has brought exceptional knowledge and experience to the Rainbow team of surgical specialists. In 2007 he received the national Children’s Miracle Network award given to a health care professional whose work has served to advance the care of children.