Hepatitis B Foundation Announces Promotion of Chari Cohen, DrPH, MPH, to Vice President, Public Health and Programs

ChariCohenDOYLESTOWN, PA (October 2017): The Hepatitis B Foundation, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Doylestown, PA, has announced the promotion of Chari Cohen, DrPH, MPH to vice president, public health and programs. In her new position, Dr. Cohen will be responsible for building and expanding programs designed to promote disease awareness, and support immunization and treatment efforts, improving the quality of life for those affected by hepatitis B worldwide.

“Chari has dedicated her career to addressing the global problem of hepatitis B – the world’s most serious and common liver infection,” said Timothy Block, PhD, president of the Hepatitis B Foundation. “We are fortunate to have her talent, experience and enthusiasm. She will continue the legacy of the work of Dr. Thomas London, and before him, Dr. Baruch Blumberg, who helped establish our programs. Those are big shoes to fill, but she has already done this admirably, and the HBF programs continue to be at the forefront in the U.S.”

Dr. Cohen has been with the Hepatitis B Foundation for 17 years, during which she has planned, implemented and evaluated community programs and research projects focusing on hepatitis B and liver cancer. Her research focuses on reducing hepatitis B related health disparities, including developing culturally competent models for improving health care access.

Dr. Cohen is co-founder and director of Hep B United Philadelphia, a coalition and campaign to increase testing, vaccination and linkage to care in local high-risk communities. Nationally, she is chair of CHIPO: Coalition Against Hepatitis for People of African Origin. She is also senior adviser to Hep B United, a national coalition in 17 states to address and eliminate hepatitis B. She sits on the steering committee for NVHR, the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, and served as Policy Chair for the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus of the American Public Health Association.

Academically, Dr. Cohen is Associate Professor at the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, and serves as adjunct faculty for Jefferson School of Population Health, Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health, and Geisinger Commonwealth Medical College. Dr. Cohen received her MPH from Temple University and her DrPH in Community Health and Prevention from Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health.

About the Hepatitis B Foundation: The Hepatitis B Foundation is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for hepatitis B and improving the quality of life for those affected worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy. To learn more, go to www.hepb.org, read our blog at hepb.org/blog, follow us on Twitter @HepBFoundation, find us on Facebook at facebook.com/hepbfoundation or call 215-489-4900.

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