A firm believer in getting "out of the Ivory Tower" and being involved in the community, Dr. Cook serves on the boards of a number of nonprofit groups and helps facilitate their operations. These include
- Best Buddies International and
Best Buddies California,
organizations that help adults with developmental disabilities to live
increasingly independent and fulfilling lives.
- Rx Laughter, a project
to study the healing effects of laughter, particularly in children with cancer.
This project joins the Entertainment Community with academic medicine to
explore the interactions between humor, happiness, coping, and health.
- The Imagination Workshop, a group of performing artists who work with at-risk children and with adults with mental illnesses, to help them express themselves through creative performance.