פרופ' יגאל דניאל [דני] כהן

Professor, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Tel Aviv University

Professor Daniel (Dani) Cohen joined Tel Aviv University (TAU) for a full-time academic position in 2002 and has been a full Professor since 2007. Previously, he served in the Israel Defense Forces for many years and was the Director of the Infectious Diseases Research Institute in the Medical Corps. Prof. Cohen served as the Head of Tel Aviv University School of Public Health for 6 years, after serving 4 years as Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. Prof. Cohen is currently the Diana & Stanley Steyer Chair of Cancer Prevention and Control.   

Prof. Cohen founded the Tiberio Swartz Forum on Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, a very active national and international stage for scientific communications and discussions in the field of infectious diseases and vaccines. Additionally, he is the co-founder and co-director of the Summer International Institute of Advanced Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at TAU School of Public Health. He also serves as an executive board member and the current Chairperson of the Middle East Consortium for Infectious Diseases Surveillance (MECIDS) and acts on various national and international advisory boards in the field of infectious diseases and vaccines. Prof. Cohen has been a consultant for the World Health Organization (WHO) on several occasions. In November 2020 Prof. Cohen was appointed to the COVID-19 solidarity vaccines trial candidate vaccine prioritization WHO working group.

Prof. Cohen has supervised many graduate and post-graduate students. He has received several awards for his outstanding contribution to research and is the author of more than 260 original, peer-reviewed articles.

Click here to view Prof. Cohen's CV (Short Version).​

Click here for a complete list of Prof. Cohen's Peer-Reviewed Articles. 

Publications (from the last three years)

Bassal R, Wax M, Shirazi R, Shohat T, Cohen D, David D, Abu-Mouch S, Abu-Ghanem Y, Mendelson E, Ben-Ari Z, Mor O. Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus in dromedary camels, Bedouins, Muslim Arabs and Jews in Israel, 2009-2017. Epidemiology and infection. 2019;147:5.

Bercovich S, Anis E, Kassem E, Rubinstein U, Ephros M, Cohen D, Muhsen K. Validation of parental reports of rotavirus vaccination of their children compared to the national immunization registry. Vaccine. 2019;37(21):2791-6.

Cohen D, Korin H, Bassal R, Markovich MP, Sivan Y, Goren S, Muhsen K. Burden and risk factors of Shigella sonnei shigellosis among children aged 0-59 months in hyperendemic communities in Israel. Int J Infect Dis. 2019;82:117-23.

Cohen D, Meron-Sudai S, Bialik A, Asato V, Goren S, Ariel-Cohen O, Reizis A, Hochberg A, Ashkenazi S. Serum IgG antibodies to Shigella lipopolysaccharide antigens - a correlate of protection against shigellosis. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics. 2019;15(6):1401-8.

Cohen D, Muhsen K. Vaccines for enteric diseases. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics. 2019;15(6):1205-14.

Danquah L, Sulo J, Mersini K, Bino S, Huda N, Adisasmito W, Soebandrio A, Karimuribo ED, Sindato C, Beda E, Rweyemamu M, Were W, Lutwama JJ, Yishai R, Cohen D, Thajeen J, Nyein SL, Oo MK, Libel M, Gresham L, Japra N, Burke C, Orefuwa E, Asquith P, Longuet C. Assessment of event based surveillance in cross border areas of six regional networks. Int J Infect Dis. 2019;79:36-.

Falup-Pecurariu O, Lixandru RI, Cojocaru E, Csutak K, Monescu V, Muhsen K, Falup-Pecurariu C, Cohen D. Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli-associated diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome in young children in Romania. Gut Pathogens. 2019;11(1):7.

Kaminski RW, Pasetti MF, Aguilar AO, Clarkson KA, Rijpkema S, Bourgeois AL, Cohen D, Feavers I, MacLennan CA. Consensus Report on Shigella Controlled Human Infection Model: Immunological Assays. Clin Infect Dis. 2019;69:S596-S601.

Katz D, Ben-Chetrit E, Sherer SS, Cohen D, Muhsen K. Correlates of non-typhoidal Salmonella bacteraemia: A case-control study. International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases. 2019;81:170-5.

Koren R, Bassal R, Shohat T, Cohen D, Mor O, Mendelson E, Lustig Y. Presence of Antibodies against Sindbis Virus in the Israeli Population: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study. Viruses-Basel. 2019;11(6):10.

Mani S, Toapanta FR, McArthur MA, Qadri F, Svennerholm AM, Devriendt B, Phalipon A, Cohen D, Sztein MB. Role of antigen specific T and B cells in systemic and mucosal immune responses in ETEC and Shigella infections, and their potential to serve as correlates of protection in vaccine development. Vaccine. 2019;37(34):4787-93.

Muhsen K, Kassem E, Rubenstein U, Goren S, Ephros M, Shulman LM, Cohen D. No evidence of an increase in the incidence of norovirus gastroenteritis hospitalizations in young children after the introduction of universal rotavirus immunization in Israel. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics. 2019;15(6):1284-93.

Muhsen K, Reshef L, Ornoy A, Maya M, Gophna U, Cohen D. Gut microbiota at school age: Influential factors and associations with cognitive development: Preliminary results. Helicobacter. 2019;24:1.

Muhsen K, Sinnreich R, Merom D, Beer-Davidson G, Nassar H, Cohen D, Kark JD. Prevalence and determinants of serological evidence of atrophic gastritis among Arab and Jewish residents of Jerusalem: a cross-sectional study. BMJ open. 2019;9(1):e024689.

Muhsen K, Sinnreich R, Merom D, Nassar H, Cohen D, Kark JD. Helicobacter pylori infection, serum pepsinogens as markers of atrophic gastritis, and leukocyte telomere length: a population-based study. Hum Genomics. 2019;13:11.

Raz Y, Keinan-Boker L, Goren S, Soen-Grisaru G, Cohen D, Grisaru D. The effect of age at immigration on cervical cancer incidence: a population-based cohort study of 1 486 438 Israeli women. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2019;29(3):492-6.

Rouach V, Goldshtein I, Buch A, Catane R, Chodick G, Stern N, Shalev V, Cohen D. The association between adherence with oral bisphosphonates and the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women. Journal of bone oncology. 2019;16:7.

Sagie S, Naamnih W, Frej J, Cohen D, Alpert G, Muhsen K. Correlates of hospitalizations in internal medicine divisions among Israeli adults of different ethnic groups with hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. PloS one. 2019;14(4):16.

Armon R, Frenkel M, Cohen D, Segal E. Dermatomycoses in the Israeli defense forces-Epidemiological and clinical aspects. Mycoses. 2020;63(1):65-70.

Mazaba ML, Siziya S, Monze M, Cohen D. Epidemiology of acute rubella infection in Zambia during the pre-vaccination period (2005-2016) as a baseline for monitoring rubella epidemiology in the post-rubella vaccine introduction era. BMC infectious diseases. 2020;20(1):7.

Muhsen K, Na'amnih W, Adler A, Carmeli Y, Cohen D. Clostridium difficile-associated disease and Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence: A case-control study. Helicobacter. 2020;25(1):6.

Bassal R, Indenbaum V, Pando R, Levin T, Shinar E, Amichay D, Barak M, Ben-Dor A, Haim AB, Mendelson E, Cohen D, Shohat T. Seropositivity of measles antibodies in the Israeli population prior to the nationwide 2018 - 2019 outbreak. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2020;29:1-5. 

Maor Y, Cohen D, Paran N, Israely T, Ezra V, Axelrod O, Shinar E, Izak M, Rahav G, Rahimi-Levene N, Bazofin BM, Gelman R, Dicker D, Brosh-Nissimov T, Megged O, Dahan D, Benov A, Paz A, Edward K, Moran A, Rogowski O, Sorkine P, Mayo A, Zimhony O, Chen J. Compassionate use of convalescent plasma for treatment of moderate and severe pneumonia in COVID-19 patients and association with IgG antibody levels in donated plasma. EClinicalMedicine. 2020;26

Na'amnih W, Carmeli Y, Asato V, Goren S, Adler A, Cohen D, Muhsen K. Enhanced Humoral Immune Responses against Toxin A and B of Clostridium difficile is Associated with a Milder Disease Manifestation. J Clin Med. 2020;9(10):3241.

Munitz A, Edry-Botzer L, Itan M, Tur-Kaspa R, Dicker D, Marcoviciu D, Goren MG, Mor M, Lev S, Gottesman T, Muhsen K, Cohen D, Stein M, Qimron U, Freund NT, Wine Y, Gerlic M. Rapid seroconversion and persistent functional IgG antibodies in severe COVID-19 patients correlates with an IL-12p70 and IL-33 signature. Scientific reports. 2021;11(1):1-3.

Bassal R, Cohen D, Green MS, Keinan-Boker L. The Israel National Sera Bank: Methods, Representativeness, and Challenges. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(5):2280.

Bassal R, Keinan-Boker L, Cohen D. A Significant Decrease in the Incidence of Shigellosis in Israel during COVID-19 Pandemic. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(6):3070.

Izak M, Yahalom V, Maor Y, Zimhoni O, Cohen D, Chen J, Shinar E. COVID-19 - Blood groups, antibodies and convalescent plasma. [HEBREW]. Harefuah. 2021;160(3):139-143.

Cohen D, Atsmon J, Artaud C, Meron-Sudai S, Gougeon M-L, Bialik A, Goren S, Asato V, Ariel-Cohen O, Reizis A, Dorman A, Hoitink CWG, Westdijk J, Ashkenazi S, Sansonetti P, Mulard LA, Phalipon A.  Safety and immunogenicity of a synthetic carbohydrate conjugate vaccine against Shigella flexneri 2a in healthy adult volunteers: a phase 1, dose escalating, single-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2021;21(4):546-558.

Chisenga CC, Bosomprah S, Simuyandi M, Mwila-Kazimbaya K, Chilyabanyama ON, Laban NM, Bialik A, Asato V, Meron-Sudai S, Frankel G, Cohen D, Chilengi R. Shigella-specific antibodies in the first year of life among Zambian infants: A longitudinal cohort study. PLoS One. 2021;16(5):e0252222.

Bassal R, Indenbaum V, Pando R, Levin T, Shinar E, Amichay D, Barak M, Ben-Dor A, Haim AB, Mendelson E, Cohen D, Shohat T. Seropositivity of measles antibodies in the Israeli population prior to the nationwide 2018 - 2019 outbreak. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2021;17(5):1353-1357.

Chodick G, Tene L, Patalon T, Gazit S, Ben Tov A, Cohen D, Muhsen K. Assessment of Effectiveness of 1 Dose of BNT162b2 Vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 Infection 13 to 24 Days After Immunization. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(6):e2115985.

Muhsen K, Schwaber MJ, Bishara J, Kassem E, Atamna A, Na'amnih W, Goren S, Bialik A, Mohsen J, Zaide Y, Hazan N, Ariel-Cohen O, Cohen R, Shitrit P, Marchaim D, Benenson S, Ben-David D, Rubinovitch B, Gotessman T, Nutman A, Wiener-Well Y, Maor Y, Carmeli Y, Cohen D. Sero-Prevalence and Sero-Incidence of Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Health Care Workers in Israel, Prior to Mass COVID-19 Vaccination. Front Med (Lausanne). 2021;8:689994.

Muhsen K, Na'aminh W, Lapidot Y, Goren S, Amir Y, Perlman S, Green MS, Chodick G, Cohen D. A nationwide analysis of population group differences in the COVID-19 epidemic in Israel, February 2020-February 2021. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2021;7:100130.

Iflah M, Kassem E, Rubinstein U, Goren S, Ephros M, Cohen D, Muhsen K. Convulsions in children hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis. Scientific Reports. 2021;11(1):1-8.

MacLennan CA, Talaat KR, Kaminski RW, Cohen D, Riddle MS, Giersing BK. Critical needs in advancing Shigella vaccines for global health. The Journal of infectious diseases. 2021.

Muhsen K, Maimon N, Mizrahi A, Bodenneimer O, Cohen D, Maimon M, Grotto I, Dagan R. Effectiveness of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine against acquisitions of SARS-CoV-2 among health care workers in long-term care facilities: a prospective cohort study. 2021.

Muhsen K, Cohen D. COVID-19 vaccination in Israel. Clinical Microbiology and Infection. 2021;27(11):1570-4.

Lapidot Y, Reshef L, Cohen D, Muhsen K. Helicobacter pylori and the intestinal microbiome among healthy school‐age children. Helicobacter. 2021;26(6):e12854.

Muhsen K, Maimon N, Mizrahi A, Varticovschi B, Bodenheimer O, Gelbshtein U, Grotto I, Cohen D, Dagan R. Effects of BNT162b2 Covid-19 vaccine booster in long-term care facilities in Israel. New England Journal of Medicine. 2022;386(4):399-401.

Chodick G, Tene L, Rotem RS, Patalon T, Gazit S, Ben-Tov A, Weil C, Goldshtein I, Twig G, Cohen D, Muhsen K. The effectiveness of the Two-Dose BNT162b2 vaccine: analysis of real-world data. Clin Infect Dis. 2022;74(3):472-8.

Izak M, Gendelman V, Bransburg-Zabary S, Stoyanov E, Gat R, Cohen D, Chen J, Maor Y, Benov A, Lev B, Zimhony O, Shinar E. Qualifying coronavirus disease 2019 convalescent plasma donors in Israel. Vox Sang. 2022;117(2):185-92.

Yahalom-Ronen Y, Erez N, Fisher M, Tamir H, Politi B, Achdout H, Melamed S, Glinert I, Weiss S, Cohen-Gihon I, Israeli O…,Cohen D,…Paran N. Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants by rVSV-ΔG-spike-elicited human sera. Vaccines. 2022;10(2):291.

Mathur S, Banai M, Cohen D. Natural Brucella melitensis Infection and Rev. 1 Vaccination Induce Specific Brucella O-Polysaccharide Antibodies Involved in Complement Mediated Brucella Cell Killing. Vaccines. 2022;10(2):317.

Edelman-Klapper H, Zittan E, Shitrit AB, Rabinowitz KM, Goren I, Avni-Biron I, Ollech JE, Lichtenstein L, Banai-Eran H, Yanai H, Snir Y…Cohen D, Dotan I, REsponses to COVid-19 vaccinE IsRaeli IBD group (RECOVER). Lower serologic response to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases treated with anti-TNFα. Gastroenterology. 2022;162(2):454-67.

Gazit S, Shlezinger R, Perez G, Lotan R, Peretz A, Ben-Tov A, Herzel E, Alapi H, Cohen D, Muhsen K, Chodick G. The Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection in Persons With Naturally Acquired Immunity With and Without Subsequent Receipt of a Single Dose of BNT162b2 Vaccine: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2022.

Lapidot Y, Reshef L, Maya M, Cohen D, Gophna U, Muhsen K. Socioeconomic disparities and household crowding in association with the fecal microbiome of school-age children. NPJ biofilms and microbiomes. 2022;8(1):1-2.

Gazit S, Shlezinger R, Perez G, Lotan R, Peretz A, Ben-Tov A, Herzel E, Alapi H, Cohen D, Muhsen K, Chodick G. SARS-CoV-2 Naturally Acquired Immunity vs. Vaccine-induced Immunity, Reinfections versus Breakthrough Infections: a Retrospective Cohort Study. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2022.

Cohen D, Meron-Sudai S, Bialik A, Asato V, Ashkenazi S. Detoxified O-Specific Polysaccharide (O-SP)–Protein Conjugates: Emerging Approach in the Shigella Vaccine Development Scene. Vaccines. 2022;10(5):675.

Muhsen K, Maimon N, Mizrahi AY, Varticovschi B, Bodenheimer O, Cohen D, Dagan R. Association of BNT162b2 Vaccine Third Dose Receipt With Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infec-tion, COVID-19–Related Hospitalization, and Death Among Residents of Long-term Care Facilities, August to October 2021. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(7):e2219940.

Muhsen K, Maimon N, Mizrahi AY, Boltyansky B, Bodenheimer O, Diamant ZH, Gaon L, Cohen D, Dagan R. Association of receipt of the fourth BNT162b2 dose with omicron infec-tion and COVID-19 hospitalizations among residents of long-term care facilities. JAMA In-ternal Medicine. 2022;182(8):859-67.

Cohen D, Ashkenazi S, Schneerson R, Farzam N, Bialik A, Meron-Sudai S, Asato V, Goren S, Baran TZ, Muhsen K, Gilbert PB. Threshold protective levels of serum IgG to Shigella lipopolysaccharide: re-analysis of Shigella vaccine trials data. Clinical Microbiology and Infection. 2022.

Bassal R, Keinan-Boker L, Cohen D, Mendelson E, Lustig Y, Indenbaum V. Estimated Infection and Vaccine Induced SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Israel among Adults, January 2020–July 2021. Vaccines. 2022;10(10):1663.

Mathur S, Bardenstein S, Cohen D, Banai M. Serum PCR Diagnosis of Brucella melitensis Infection in Rev. 1 Vaccinated Sheep. Microbiology Research. 2022;14(1):21-33.

Donkor ES, Muhsen K, Johnson SAM, Kotey FCN, Dayie NTKD, Tetteh-Quarcoo PB, Tette EMA, Osei M-M, Egyir B, Nii-Trebi NI, Owusu-Okyere G, Owusu-Ofori A, Amir Y, Perlman S, Lopes PH, Mfodwo A, Gordon NC, Gresham L, Smolinski M, Cohen D. Multicenter Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance among Gram-Negative Bacteria Isolated from Bloodstream Infections in Ghana. Antibiotics. 2023;12(2):255.