Sidney Cohen
Sidney Cohen, MD was an American psychiatrist, professor of medicine, and author, known as a leading expert on LSD, marijuana, cocaine, and other mood altering drugs.
Biography
Cohen was born in New York City in 1910, and graduated from Columbia University as a pharmacist in 1930. After study at the City College of New York, he then studied medicine in Germany, where he received in 1938 his medical degree from the University of Bonn. He did his medical internship at Queens General Hospital in New York City. After completing his internship he joined the U.S. Army Medical Corps, extensively participated in the WW II Pacific campaign, and was eventually promoted to colonel. After the end of WW II, he completed his residency at West [Los Angeles VA Medical Center|Wadsworth VA Hospital] in Los Angeles. At Wadsworth VA Hospital, he became the chief of psychiatric service. There he was the Assistant Chief of Medical Service from 1948 to 1960. When UCLA's medical school was started in the late 1940s, many Wadsworth VA physicians served as faculty. At the David Geffen [School of Medicine at UCLA|UCLA School of Medicine], Cohen became in 1954 a faculty member and served as an associate clinical professor until 1970. From 1968 to 1970 he was on academic leave of absence when he was appointed by Richard Nixon in 1968 as the first director of the NIMH's Division of Narcotic Abuse and Drug Addiction. Cohen returned to the UCLA School of Medicine in 1970 when he was promoted to clinical professor. He was the author or co-author of a number of books and over 300 articles.In the 1950s he was a pioneer in research on LSD. He did research on barbiturates, amphetamines, and tranquilizers, as well as hallucinogens.
Upon his death in Santa Monica he was survived by his widow, Ilse, a daughter, Dorothy, and a son, Richard.
Selected publications
as author
- with Richard Alpert:
- with Donald P. Tashkin:
- with Therese Andrysiak:
- with Robert O'Brien: