For medical school admissions
Visit the Office of Admission for info on application process, financial aid, and student life.
For graduate school admissions
Visit the Office of Graduate Education for info on our many doctoral programs and the graduate education application process at the School of Medicine.
Give online
Use our secure online giving form to make your gift to Case Western Reserve University now.
Make a difference
Find out how you can Take Three Steps to make a difference at Case Western Reserve University.
Welcome to campus
Visit Case Western Reserve University's uniquely urban campus, located in the heart of Cleveland's cultural hub, University Circle. Plan your trip:
Find it here
...at the School of Medicine
Look for people
Search for School of Medicine faculty in our Faculty Directory or search their research interest through the Faculty Research Interest Directory.
Look up other people in the University Directory.
Browse departments and centers
Browse other listings
Dr. Kenneth Cooke Celebrated as Ohio Eminent Scholar for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine and the Dr. Leonard C. Hanna Professor
Posted: January 23rd, 2012
Kenneth R. Cooke, MD
Five years ago, Dr. Cooke was recruited to Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine for his expertise in stem cell transplantation and the two most frequent and severe complications following this procedure: graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and a frequently fatal form of lung disease known as idiopathic pneumonia syndrome or IPS. On January 18, faculty and friends gathered to celebrate Dr. Cooke's impact at the school as the Ohio Eminent Scholar for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine and the Dr. Leonard C. Hanna Professor.
Dr. Cooke's research efforts aim to understand the specific mechanisms responsible for GVHD and IPS, particularly among children who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (or bone marrow transplants) for malignant and non-malignant disorders.
In true "bench to bedside" fashion, Dr. Cooke serves as medical director of the stem cell core facility at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, where insights from his laboratory research have advanced into successful multi-center human trials for the treatment of IPS in both pediatric and adult bone marrow transplant recipients. During his career, Dr. Cooke's research demonstrated the efficacy of the drug Enbrel (Etanercept) in combating the complications of GVHD and IPS. His current trials seek to better predict and prevent these problems in patients.
"Dr. Cooke's optimistic and dogged perseverance has led to important discoveries into mechanisms and potential new treatments for complex disorders associated with bone marrow transplantation," said School of Medicine Dean Pamela B. Davis. "The level of sophistication and expertise that he brings to the field is second to none."
Dr. Cooke also brings outstanding leadership to UH Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital as director of the pediatric blood and marrow transplant program and director of the multidisciplinary program in graft-versus-host disease. The number of children and young adults undergoing blood and bone marrow transplants at Rainbow has more than tripled through his care and expertise.
Dr. Cooke trained at two of the nation's top children's hospitals, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Boston Children's Hospital, and he is internationally recognized for his laboratory and clinical research. He was recently appointed to the American Society of Hematology's Scientific Subcommittee on Stem Cell Biology and previously served on the board of directors of the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation as the director of Laboratory Science. Dr. Cooke also is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI), an honor society of physician-scientists who translate findings in the laboratory into clinical practice advancements. He is recognized as a Clinical Scholar of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and is the recipient of a prestigious Clinical Scientist Award in Translational Research from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
