Pathology

Elizabeth J. Cochran, MD

Professor of Pathology
Director of Neuropathology
Director of Autopsy Service
Director of Second Year Medical Student Pathology Course

Dr. Cochran serves as the Director of the neuropathology and autopsy services of the Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Pathology and Froedtert Hospital. She also directs the pathology course for second year medical students of the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Research Interests

• Pathological evaluation of aging changes of the brain, mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease and non-Alzheimer's disease dementias
• Pathology and biology of primary brain neoplasms

Professional Background

• Assistant and Associate Professor, Departments of Pathology and Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL  (1990 - 2009)
• Director, Brain Bank, Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL  (1990 - 1999)
• Member of editorial board, Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology  (2005 - present)
• Chairperson, Professional Affairs Committee and Vice-President for Professional Affairs, American Association of Neuropathologists (2009 - present)

Educational Background

• BS, University of Illinois, 1978
• MD, Rush Medical College, 1982
• Anatomic Pathology Residency, Northwestern University/Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL  (1985 - 1987)
• Neuropathology Fellowship, Institute of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH  (1987 - 1989)
• Surgical Pathology Fellowship, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL  (1989 - 1990)

Board Certifications

• Anatomic Pathology
• Neuropathology

Selected Publications

• Cochran EJ. Neurodegenerative diseases. Chapter 6. In: Neuropathology. Prayson RA (Ed.) Churchill Livingstone Philadelphia 2005; pp. 223-286.
• Pytel, P, Cochran EJ, Bonner G, Nyenhuis DL, Thomas C, Gorelick PB. Vascular and Alzheimer-type pathology in an autopsy study of African-Americans. Neurology 2006;66, 433-435.
• Bennett DA, Schneider JA, Aggarwal NT, Arvanitakis Z, Shah RC, Kelly JF, Fox JH, Cochran EJ, Arends D, Treinkman AD, Wilson RS. Decision rules guiding the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in two community-based cohort studies compared to standard practice in a clinic-based cohort study. Neuroepidemiology 2006 27:169-176.
• Murrell J, Ghetti B, Cochran E, Macias-Islas MA, Medina L, Varpetian A, Cummings JL, Mendez MF, Kawas C, Chui H, Ringman JM. The A431E mutation in PSEN1 causing Familial Alzheimer's disease originating in Jalisco State, Mexico: an additional fifteen families. Neurogenetics DOI 10.1007/s10048-006-0053-1 (online), August, 2006.
• Cochran EJ. Central Nervous System In: Differential Diagnosis in Surgical Pathology, 2nd edition, Gattuso P et al. (Eds.) WB Saunders Company Philadelphia 2008.
• Parisi JE, Miller DV, Boyer PJ, Brat DJ, Cochran EJ, Chen ML, DeMaster BK, Dolinak D, McLendon RE, Powell S ZE, Prayson RA, Vinters HV, Yachnis AT. Protocol for the Examination of Specimens from Patients with Tumors of the Brain/Spinal Cord, Arch Pathol Lab Med, 132(6): 907-912, June, 2008.
• Perry A, Miller CR, Gujrati M, Scheithauer BW, Zambrano SC, Jost SC, Raghavan R, Qian J, Cochran EJ, Huse JT, Holland EC, Burger PC, Rosenblum MK. Malignant gliomas with primitive neuroectodermal tumor-like components: a clinicopathologic and genetic study of 53 cases. Brain Pathology, Apr 29, 2008 [Epub ahead of print].
• Ruban D, Byrne RW, Kanner A, Smith M, Cochran EJ, Roh D, Whisler WW. Chronic epilepsy associated with temporal tumors: long-term surgical outcome. Neurosurg Focus 27 (2):E6,2009.