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Professor Marta C. Cohen OBE is a Consultant Paediatric Pathologist and Head of Department at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, where she has worked since 2003. She is also an Honorary Professor of Paediatric Pathology at the University of Sheffield, having been appointed in 2018 as the first female Honorary Professor in the field at the University’s School of Medicine and Population Health.

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An internationally recognised leader and opinion former in paediatric and perinatal pathology, Professor Cohen has made major contributions to the investigation of sudden infant death and unexplained infant mortality. She was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2020 for her contribution to research and understanding of sudden infant death, and was recognised as a Sheffield Ambassador in 2015.

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Professor Cohen has held numerous leadership positions within national and international professional organisations, including Vice President for Learning of the Royal College of Pathologists, Council Member of the European Society of Pathology, and former President of the International Paediatric Pathology Association. She has also served on the boards and advisory groups of organisations including the International Stillbirth Alliance, the International Society for the Study and Prevention of Perinatal and Infant Death, the Lullaby Trust, and the Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood Foundation UK.

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Her research spans paediatric and perinatal pathology, sudden infant death, molecular autopsy, genetic risk in unexplained sudden death, post-mortem imaging, and placental investigation. Her recent research includes molecular mechanisms underlying sudden infant death, sudden arrhythmic death syndrome, genome-wide approaches to identifying genetic risk, post-mortem CT, intrauterine MRI, and the role of the placenta in adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.

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Professor Cohen is also deeply committed to postgraduate education and international research capacity building. She is Chair and Programme Director of the Advanced Training Centre for Paediatric and Perinatal Pathology of the European Society of Pathology and has directed postgraduate courses for the International Paediatric Pathology Association. She regularly supervises international fellows and contributes to the education of medical and postgraduate students at the University of Sheffield.

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A prolific author and educator, Professor Cohen has co-authored nine books, contributed to more than 30 book chapters, and published over 160 peer-reviewed research articles. Her combination of clinical expertise, research leadership, and commitment to education has established her as an influential figure in paediatric pathology and the investigation of sudden infant death, with a strong international profile in improving understanding of conditions affecting infants and children.