Frederick Cohan

Frederick M. Cohan is a Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies at Wesleyan University.4 He is a microbial ecologist whose research focuses on the origins of diversity in bacteria and viruses, as well as the prevention of future pandemics.2

Research Interests

Cohan's primary research areas include:

1. Bacterial species and speciation
2. Origins of ecological diversity in prokaryotes
3. Microbial ecology and evolution

His work aims to develop a theory of bacterial species and speciation, with a particular focus on identifying and characterizing bacterial ecotypes.3

Academic Contributions

Professor Cohan has made significant contributions to the field of microbiology, particularly in:

• Bacterial systematics: He has proposed new approaches to identify fundamental units of bacterial diversity.1
• Ecological speciation: Cohan has studied how bacteria adapt to new ecological niches and respond to environmental changes.1
• Genomic analysis: His research includes work on genomic heterogeneity within bacterial subspecies.1

Teaching and Academic Role

At Wesleyan University, Cohan teaches classes on:

• The origins of bacterial diversity
• Evolutionary biology
• Ecological principles5

He is affiliated with both the Department of Biology and Environmental Studies programs at Wesleyan.4

Background

Frederick Cohan grew up in Pasadena, California.2 He has established himself as a respected figure in the field of microbiology, with numerous publications in prestigious journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Current Biology, and FEMS Microbiology Reviews.1