Dr. Joshua G. Cohen

Many women first meet Dr. Joshua G. Cohen at City of Hope, where his warm greeting quickly softens the anxiety that follows words like “ovarian” or “uterine” cancer. As Medical Director of the Gynecologic Cancer Program and Associate Clinical Professor of Gynecologic Oncology, he brings surgeons, radiation oncologists, pathologists, genetic counselors, dietitians, fertility experts, and social-work colleagues together for a single conversation, holding scans next to molecular reports until one clear, patient-centered plan emerges. Nurse navigators phone later that day to translate the discussion into easy next steps; financial advocates coordinate authorizations; physical therapists schedule pre-habilitation so surgery feels less daunting. Dr. Cohen’s belief is simple: nobody should fight cancer alone or in pieces, and each specialist must understand the whole picture before the first incision or infusion. Families leave knowing that every professional—not just one—is committed to protecting health, dignity, and daily life. 

 

Upstairs in the research suite, Dr. Cohen studies how targeted drugs and sophisticated algorithms can outmaneuver recurrent gynecologic malignancies. He serves as principal investigator on trials that pair PARP inhibitors or antibody–drug conjugates with precision chemotherapy in ovarian and endometrial cancers, and he helped launch an artificial-intelligence platform that fine-tunes dosing in real time to spare healthy tissue while maintaining tumor control. Blood, tissue, and digital symptom logs collected during each visit move quickly to sequencing and bioinformatics cores, where emerging resistance patterns trigger rapid protocol adjustments while patients are still benefiting. Collaborations with engineers explore imaging agents that light up microscopic implants during robotic cytoreduction, turning surgery into a more precise, organ-sparing craft. For participants, this bench-to-bedside ecosystem means therapies are matched to the cancer’s own blueprint rather than to historical averages, improving response and quality of life.

 

Away from the operating theater, Dr. Cohen devotes equal energy to teaching and community outreach. He hosts interactive webinars that walk viewers through signs of cervical cancer and the importance of HPV vaccination, records brief explainer videos on robotic surgery that play in clinic waiting rooms, and mentors fellows through simulation modules that build confidence before they ever touch live tissue. Evenings often find him at neighborhood health fairs answering questions in plain language or partnering with survivors on podcasts that demystify clinical-trial enrollment. National societies invite him to shape guidelines on minimally invasive gynecologic oncology, ensuring that discoveries travel quickly from journal pages to community clinics. These efforts spread accurate information far beyond academic walls and reassure patients that expert guidance is only a click or short drive away.