Dr. Robert Cohen
Clinical Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences; Executive Director, Mining Education and Research Center
Biography
Dr. Robert Cohen. (Photo: Martin Hernandez/UIC)
Dr. Robert Cohen studies work-related lung diseases. His experience researching and treating coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, better known as black lung disease, spans almost 40 years.
Cohen began his career evaluating and treating former coal miners who had migrated from Appalachia to the Chicago area. Now, he directs UIC’s Mining and Education Research Center, which engages in research, education, training and clinical services for coal miners locally, nationally and internationally.
A fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians, Cohen has advised various U.S. government agencies on mining-related health issues, including the Respiratory Health Division of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Mining Safety Health Administration and the Division of Coal Mine Workers’ Compensation of the U.S. Department of Labor. He’s also a member of the University of Illinois Cancer Center.
Outside the U.S., Cohen has supported research on mining-related respiratory diseases in Australia, Chile, Colombia and Ukraine.
Areas of Expertise
Additional Information
In the News
What is causing the rise in black lung disease?
April 12, 2022
Study reveals bias among doctors who classify X-rays for coal miner’s black lung claims
March 25, 2021
UIC School of Public Health establishes Mining Education and Research Center
July 2, 2018