Elisia Cohen, UK communication researcher, wins award for work in health promotion, education and communication

Elisia Cohen

Elisia Cohen, professor and Department of Communication chair in the College of Communication and Information at the University of Kentucky, has received a national award for exceptional research in the field of health promotion, health education and health communication.

“I was really honored” to get the Mayhew Derryberry Award, Cohen said in a UK news release. “While there might be other people who produce more scholarly articles or reports, I like to think that my research has a large impact and that my work in communications specifically can extend the reach and effectiveness of health promotion and health communication activities. I think this award was really recognition of that.”

Cohen has worked for 13 years in health-communication research, specifically focusing on cancer prevention and control. She received the award, named for the dedicated public health service officer Mayhew Derryberry, earlier this month at the Public Health Education and Health Promotion awards luncheon in Denver.

Cohen told UKNow that her success in cancer prevention research stems in part from the group efforts of the teams she has worked with. noting that she has collaborated with colleagues in UK’s communication department, College of Public Health, College of Nursing and College of Medicine.

“Without those collaborations, really there would be no recognition,” she said. “I’ve had the good fortune to work with excellent researchers in health and medicine who are interested in moving the needle on their impact from a communication perspective.”