Richard Cohen

Richard J. Cohen is the Whitaker Professor in Biomedical Engineering at MIT. His research focuses on the application of physics and engineering to solve problems in biology and medicine, particularly in developing cardiovascular diagnostic and therapeutic technologies. He has developed a noninvasive measurement of microvolt level fluctuations in electrocardiographic signals to identify individuals at risk for sudden cardiac death form heart rhythm disturbances. Cambridge Heart, Incorporated, a company that Dr. Cohen helped found, has commercialized this technology, called the measurement of microvolt T-wave alternans. The technology has been successfully tested in a wide range of international clinical trials and is being introduced into widespread clinical practice.

DEGREES

• PhD in Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1976
• MD in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 1976
• BA in Chemistry and Physics, Harvard College, 1971

RESEARCH

Dr. Cohen focuses on the application of physics and engineering to solve problems in biology and medicine, particularly in developing cardiovascular diagnostic and therapeutic technologies. He has developed a noninvasive measurement of microvolt level fluctuations in electrocardiographic signals to identify individuals at risk for sudden cardiac death form heart rhythm disturbances. Cambridge Heart, Incorporated, a company that Dr. Cohen helped found, has commercialized this technology, which is called the “measurement of microvolt T-wave alternans.” The technology has been successfully tested in a wide range of international clinical trials and is being introduced into widespread clinical practice.