Marta Cohen

Consultant Pathologist and Head of Histopathology Department, Sheffield Children’s, NHS Foundation Trust

Professor Marta C Cohen is Paediatric and Perinatal Pathologist with many years of experience, holding  an MD, FRCPath, DMJ (Pathol) and a Diploma in Medical Education.

In 2020, she was awarded an OBE by the late Queen Elizabeth for her role in the investigation of SIDS.  

Marta is involved with national and international organisations, both in educational, advisory and/or leadership roles. These include: Head of Department (2004-) and Clinical Director (2019-) at Sheffield Children’s; President of IPPA (International Paediatric Pathology Association: 2016-2018), IPPA Course Director (2014-2018, 2022), Giordano Fellowship Director in Paediatric Pathology  European Society of Pathology (2015-), ESP Council Member  (2022-2025), ESP Newsletter Editor (2023-2025), ICCR Council  (2019-); Academic Lead and Examiner of the Paediatric/Perinatal SAC RCPath (2019-), Scientific Advisory Group Lullaby Trust, Academic Advisory Board, Academy of Forensic Sciences , and Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood Foundation UK amongst other roles. 

As the Academic Lead of the Paediatric/Perinatal Pathology Specialty Committee of the Royal College of Pathologist (UK), she leads the organisation of post-graduate courses. 

Marta is devoted to post-graduate education, fostering the potential of those entering the sector. She established the training in Paediatric/Perinatal Pathology at SCH in 2005, and frequently receives international fellows.

Frequently invited to lecture at national and international courses and conferences, she has been named in the “Power list of most influential Pathologists“ and included in The Pathologist’s “Trailblazers” Power List by an independent judging panel of experts.

In her academic role, Marta is an Editorial board member of Pediatric and Developmental Pathology. She is a co-author of the book: A world in Pandemic: Lessons and challenges of Coronavirus” (Spanish), has published 32 chapters in books; 168 articles in peer reviewed journals, and 95  abstracts at meetings and conferences.

Marta is also a Co-Editor of 4 books published by Cambridge University Press and was part of the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) Programme, commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP). As such, was part of the team publishing the report “Sudden and Unexpected Deaths in Infancy and Childhood” (December 2022). 

Updated: September 2023