(May 2, 2011) Dr. J. John Cohen, a School of Medicine professor of immunology and medicine who has taught students and thousands of other Coloradans, received a national honor that’s also gone to astronomer Carl Sagan.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science gave Cohen its 2010 Award for Public Understanding of Science & Technology.

The teacher known as JJ has spent his career demystifying science for students and the general public.

 Since Cohen founded the Mini Med School in 1989, more than 17,000 people, from kids to grandparents, have attended the free series of talks on medical science. He also started Denver’s Café Scientifique, a public forum for scientific discussions, and Café Pedagogique, an informal meeting for conversation and discussion of teaching and learning for students, staff, faculty and friends of the Anschutz Medical Campus.

The award committee said Cohen "has dedicated his career to thinking of new ways to share the excitement and importance of science with the general public."