Jessica Cohen

Jessica Cohen, MHS, is the director of PATH’s Office of Research Affairs (ORA). As ORA Director, she oversees organizational efforts to: ensure PATH’s research is scientifically and ethically sound; provide research training and education for program staff; manage institutional systems for research oversight and compliance; and provide strategic guidance on best practices for research at PATH. Ms. Cohen serves as the senior co-chair of PATH’s research ethics committee (REC). She also oversees PATH’s Research Determination Committee and Institutional Biosafety Committee, in addition to serving on PATH’s Leadership Team and other institutional leadership committees.

Ms. Cohen’s experience includes 15 years conducting international health research to develop and adapt reproductive health and HIV prevention technologies, working with research partners in Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the United States. Prior to joining PATH in 2000, she worked as a qualitative research consultant with Project HOPE in Nicaragua, where she supported research pertaining to child survival and reproductive health.

Ms. Cohen received her MHS in international health from Johns Hopkins University, School of Hygiene and Public Health. She received her BA in cultural anthropology from the University of California at Santa Cruz. She has been a certified institutional review board (IRB) professional since 2011 and is fluent in Spanish and Italian.