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BIDDEFORD, Maine

UNE Pharmacology Professor Ed Bilsky named AOA Research Mentor of the Year

The American Osteopathic Foundation has selected UNE professor Edward J. Bilsky, Ph.D, as its 2011 Research Mentor of the Year. The $5,000 award is given to a DO or Ph.D. member of an AOA-accredited osteopathic institution who has demonstrated excellence in research mentorship at any and all levels of osteopathic medical education.

Bilsky is a tenured professor of pharmacology in the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Associate Provost for Research and Scholarship at UNE. He joined the university in 2001. Bilsky's laboratory conducts translational research in the areas of pain, addiction and other neurological disorders. He has received over $5 million in federal, state and private grants, and has published over 65 peer-reviewed publications in leading pharmacology journals.

Marc B. Hahn, DO, senior vice president for health affairs and dean of the UNE College of Osteopathic Medicine, says, "Dr. Bilsky is committed to advancing research within the college and university at all levels - student, faculty and affiliated medical partners within the community. He has helped to raise the visibility of UNE and our research efforts within the osteopathic profession."

"Being selected for this award by the AOA is a great honor and recognizes the commitment that the students, college and university have made to scholarship," says Bilsky. He adds, "The ability to expand the scope of student-centered research at the College of Osteopathic Medicine was made possible because of the early vision of the founding faculty and the continued support of COM leadership."

Bilsky has been a longtime advocate for student research and regularly involves undergraduate and graduate students in his research. He has opened up numerous clinical and basic science research opportunities for UNE students in Maine and the United States, and has been a vital leader in facilitating biomedical and osteopathic research opportunities at UNE.

Former student Castigliano Bhamidipati, DO, MSc, who worked with Bilsky while a medical school student at UNE, said, "His dedication to teaching, enthusiasm regarding research, and mentoring young scientists was important to my success ... and has shaped my career."

In 2003 Bilsky played an instrumental role in drafting an intellectual property policy for the university; he also has longstanding commitments to promote economic development for the state of Maine. He has participated in three site visits by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, each one having significant impact on the research strategic plans for the college and university.

Most recently, Bilsky created a summer internship program that introduced students to the connection between medicine, research and entrepreneurship. Students benefited from an interactive seminar program that included internationally known scientists as well as business leaders in Maine. The program also has an associated K-12 outreach component where medical students are paired with faculty and undergraduates to develop neuroscience-related education modules for local school systems.

Bilsky also helped establish a unique dual DO/Ph.D. program that is offered collaboratively through UNE's College of Osteopathic Medicine and the University of Maine Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. This program enables highly motivated medical students to combine a formal clinical education with the latest neuroscience research, equipping them to practice evidence-based medicine.

David Manyan, Ph.D., section head for Biomedical Sciences at the UNE College of Osteopathic Medicine, states, "Dr. Bilsky epitomizes the role of a research mentor, having directed the research of numerous undergraduate and medical students and coauthoring many abstracts and papers with these students. A number of his students have won national awards and fellowships under his direction. He has also mentored junior faculty members as they strive to establish their own independent research programs. He has been a major factor in establishing the vibrant research agenda that the UNE College of Osteopathic Medicine now enjoys."

Bilsky will receive the award at a formal presentation in Orlando on October 29th.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.