Some careers follow established paths. Others create entirely new ones.
For decades, William E. Cohn, MD, known to colleagues and trainees alike as “Billy”, has done the latter, imagining solutions where none existed and building technologies that continue to redefine what is possible in cardiovascular care. That spirit of invention and surgical ingenuity is why The Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine has named Dr. Cohn the recipient of the Ray C. Fish Award for 2026.
The award, one of the Center’s highest honors, recognizes individuals whose scientific contributions reshape medicine. Few careers embody that mission more clearly than Dr. Cohn’s. A tenured professor of surgery at Baylor College of Medicine and Executive Director of the Center for Device Innovation at the Texas Medical Center, Dr. Cohn has spent a lifetime at the intersection of imagination, engineering, and patient care.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Cohn has authored or co-authored more than 120 U.S. and international patents, each one a tangible expression of a simple but demanding question: How can we do this better? His work has touched nearly every corner of cardiovascular innovation, from surgical techniques to advanced circulatory support systems. Among his most consequential achievements is his leadership in the development of a continuous-flow total artificial heart powered by a single magnetically levitated rotor, a breakthrough that may fundamentally change the future of therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure.
“Dr. Cohn stands firmly in the tradition of surgical pioneers such as Dr. Denton Cooley and Dr. Michael DeBakey, two leaders in innovation who established Houston as a global center of cardiovascular discovery,” said Joseph G. Rogers, MD, Director of The Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine. “His creativity, surgical agility, and boldness to challenge long-held assumptions have extended that legacy in remarkable ways. His work captures the very essence of the Ray C. Fish Award and the transformative innovation it exists to celebrate.”
That legacy traces directly back to giants such as Denton Cooley and Michael DeBakey, whose work helped define The Texas Heart Institute as a place where bold ideas are not only welcomed but expected. Dr. Cohn’s career reflects that same ethos, combining rapid decision-making in the operating room with the long-view discipline required to bring entirely new technologies from concept to clinical reality.
Equally important is Dr. Cohn’s role as a mentor. Generations of surgeons, engineers, and innovators credit him with shaping how they think—not just about procedures or devices, but about problem-solving itself. His influence extends far beyond the patents and prototypes, living on in the people he has trained to ask better questions and pursue harder answers.
“It is a profound privilege to be recognized with an award rooted in the history of innovation at The Texas Heart Institute. My work has always been driven by a desire to imagine what the next generation of heart replacement therapy could look like,” stated Dr. Cohn. “I am proud to be part of a community that continues to push the boundaries of cardiovascular innovation and honored to accept this award.”
Established in 1972, the Ray C. Fish Award honors the legacy of a Texas philanthropist whose vision helped make The Texas Heart Institute possible. Bestowed biennially on cardiovascular surgeons and cardiologists, the award recognizes leaders whose work has altered the course of cardiovascular science and patient care. Dr. Cohn now joins that distinguished lineage.
The award was presented during a ceremony on January 9, 2026, in the historic Ansary Atrium in the Denton A. Cooley Building. The evening concluded with the unveiling of Dr. Cohn’s portrait, to be displayed alongside past recipients—an enduring reminder that the future of cardiovascular medicine is built by those bold enough to imagine it first.
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