Pioneering NYITCOM Cardiologist Recognized by the National Academy of Inventors

Todd J. Cohen, M.D., professor, chief of cardiology, and director of medical device innovation at the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM), has been elected a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

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The NAI Fellows program highlights academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on society. Cohen is one of 170 exceptional inventors elected into the 2024 Class of Fellows; the NAI Fellowship is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors.

Cohen, a triple-boarded and practicing cardiologist, has secured nearly 40 United States patents for his pioneering inventions in electrophysiology, implantable devices, robotics, and other critical areas. Patents for his innovations have been acquired by prominent healthcare technology companies, including Medtronic and Boston Scientific, among others.

At NYITCOM, Cohen is an enthusiastic and dedicated mentor to students who aspire to be medical inventors and innovators. In addition, as a member of the Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)/Hypermobility Treatment Center, he provides treatment to EDS patients and has conducted transformative research into the condition, which can be life-threatening if blood vessels or heart tissue are affected.

“Dr. Cohen embodies the spirit of New York Tech’s doers, makers, and innovators. Since joining our institution in 2019, he has demonstrated exceptional ingenuity and leadership in the fields of cardiology, medical entrepreneurship, internal medicine, and cardiac electrophysiology, among others,” says New York Tech President Henry C. Foley, Ph.D. “His admission to the NAI Fellows Program will fuel further inventive solutions in the fields of medicine and technology, made both by him and by the medical students that he educates.”

The 2024 NAI Fellows collectively hold more than 5,000 United States patents and hail from 135 research universities and governmental and non-profit research institutions worldwide. NAI Fellows are known for the societal and economic impact of their inventions, contributing to major advancements in science and consumer technologies. Their innovations have generated more than $3.2 trillion in revenue and generated 1.2 million jobs.

Honorees will be presented medals by the United States Patent and Trademark Office at the NAI 14th Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Ga., in June 2025.