Stanley Cohen

Nobel Laureate Stanley Cohen, Ph.D., speaks to the School of Science and Math students. photo by Dana Johnson Reporter 12/7/07 Lens 2008

Nobel Prize

View Dr. Cohen’s Nobel lecture (text) (video).

Original clipping (left) unearthed by Dr. David Bader and shared with our Department. The article is from the 1986 New York Times piece on our illustrious Nobel Prize Winner, Dr. Stanley Cohen. Below are links to the full text of the article as it appeared in print, along with another New York Times article also written about Dr. Cohen in the same time period.

“Two Pioneers In Growth Of Cells Win Nobel Prize”

“Man In The News; Holdout On Big Science: Stanley Cohen”

“Stanley Cohen’s Nobel Prize: 25 Years of Progress”

Stanley Cohen – Nobelprize.org Biographical

The Elusive Nobel Prize Winner

2021 Nobel Prize Recollections by Jan Jordan

Photo of Jan Jordan giving a Zoom presentation. She is earring a black-and-white-flecked top and a gold necklace. Behind her is a painting of a crowd of people. — Jan Jordan

Jan Jordan provided a retrospective of the Nobel prize, awarded to her late husband, Stanley Cohen. Along with Dr. Rita Levi-Montalcini, Dr. Cohen was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the isolation of nerve growth factor and the discovery of epidermal growth factor. (View Presentation) The Nobel Prize Day recollections of Jan Jordan on December 10, 2021, were followed by a private dedication ceremony honoring our illustrious Nobelist Dr. Stanley Cohen. The bench named for Dr. Cohen is prominently placed where a new generation of scientists can ponder scientific thoughts while viewing a stately oak within the Vanderbilt Arboretum. The white oak tree has a name placard on it identifying both the scientific tree species and honoring Dr. Cohen. We thank the York family for their donation of this apt memoriam, sure to be enjoyed for many years to come.

Photo of bench with a gold ribbon tide in the middle. Behind it stand John York wearing a gray blazer, Jan Jordan wearing a cream colored coat, and Sally York wearing a dark sweater and multi-colored scarf. — Bench dedication honoring Dr. Stanley Cohen (L-R: John York, Jan Jordan, Sally York)

Photo of a gold-colored plaque on wood bench honoring Dr. Stanley Cohen. — Plaque on bench honoring Dr. Stanley Cohen.

Photo of black plaque with white lettering, affixed to a oak tree dedicated to the memory of Vanderbilt Nobel laureate Stanley Cohen. — Oak tree dedicated to the memory of Vanderbilt Nobel laureate Stanley Cohen.

Photo of (L-R) Larry Marnett wearing a blue blazer, Jan Jordan wearing a cream-colored coat, David Cortez wearing a gray blazer, and John York wearing a gray blazer. They are standing in front of a bench which has a gold ribbon tied to its middle. — L-R: Larry Marnett (Dean of Basic Sciences), Jan Jordan, David Cortez (Biochemistry Chair), John York (former Biochemistry Chair)

Phot of (L-R) David Cortez leaning on an umbrella, John York with hands folded, Taylor Wood holding an umbrella, Aaron Conley leaning on an umbrella, Jan Jordan wearing a cream-colored coat, Jen Smith wearing a brown sweater, and Larry Marnett wearing a blue blazer and holding an umbrella. — Bench dedication honoring Dr. Stanley Cohen. L-R: David Cortez, John York, Taylor Wood, Aaron Conley, Jan Jordan, Jen Smith, Sally York, Larry Marnett.

2016 TN Health Care Hall of Fame Induction

Stanley Cohen, our Nobel-prize winning Professor Emeritus, has been named to the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame by Belmont University and the McWhorter Society (see induction program). This accolade recognizes men and women who have made significant and lasting contributions to the health and health care industry.

Marlene Jayne, our retired Department Administrator, accepted the Tennessee Healthcare Hall of Fame award on behalf of Dr. Stanley Cohen and gave an eloquent speech. Presenting the Inductions was Dr. Harry Jacobsen, former Vice Chancellor of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Winners exemplify high ethical and professional character as outstanding community role models. Read more here. View Marlene Jayne’s Acceptance Speech

Stanley Cohen Retrospectives

Vanderbilt Library archived Stanley Cohen collection.
34 Minute Video

Our Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry, Emeritus, Dr. Stanley Cohen is mentioned within Dr. Lynn Helena Caporale’s 2019 Keynote Lecture at Duke University, from a symposium discussing how immigrants have shaped scientific leadership.
Symposium 2019 info
Keynote Lecture link (5 min mark)

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology member magazine published this retrospective of Stanley Cohen in its March 2020 issue.

Graham Carpenter, Vanderbilt University, and Robert Coffey, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, published this retrospective of Stanley Cohen in the March 20, 2020 issue of Science Magazine: “Stanley Cohen (1922-2020) Award-winning biochemist who shed light on cell growth”

The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences published this article by Lorena Infante Lara in the inaugural issue of their in-house magazine, Vestigo.

Stanley Cohen Innovation Fund

Give to the Stanley Cohen Innovation Fund here.

The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine is pleased to solicit applications for research awards from the Stanley Cohen Innovation Fund. The Cohen Fund supports high-risk, ground-breaking research with the potential to open new fields of scientific inquiry and biomedical impact. Initial awards of up to $100,000 (direct costs) will be made from the Fund. Awardees can receive a second year of funding, pending adequate progress.

The awards honor and are in memory of Professor of Biochemistry and 1986 Nobel Laureate Stanley Cohen, whose discovery of epidermal growth factor and its mechanism of action revolutionized our understanding of cellular signaling in fields of biomedical research such as development, wound healing, and cancer and led to high impact therapies across a range of diseases. Professor Cohen’s work will serve as the prototype for research that will be supported by the Fund.