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BIDDEFORD, Maine

Humanism in Aging Leadership Award recipient Desmond O'Neill to discuss 'The Art of the Longevity Dividend,' Jan. 11th

Geriatrician and stroke physician Desmond O'Neill, MD, is the recipient of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine 2012-13 Humanism in Aging Leadership Award.  

The award ceremony takes place at noon on January 11, 2013 at the Alfond Center for the Health Sciences, Lecture Hall 106, on UNE's Biddeford Campus. O'Neill will deliver the keynote lecture, "The Art of the Longevity Dividend," at the event.

The annual award recognizes a prominent geriatrician who exemplifies humanism and innovation in his or her approach to improving the lives of older adults. It was originally funded through the support of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation and is now supported through the UNE College of Osteopathic Medicine Department of Geriatric Medicine. 

The award exemplifies one of the many ways the UNE medical school is committed to innovative educational opportunities for students of all disciplines in the respectful care of older adults.

O'Neill is professor for the department of medical gerontology at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, where his research focuses on gerontology and the neurosciences, with a strong emphasis on the humanities.  He is immediate past-president of the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society.

O'Neill is chair of the National Centre for Arts and Health, and has worked with numerous cultural agencies and institutions to develop the concepts of arts, aging and health, including the National Gallery of Ireland, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the Irish Film Institute and the Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Dublin.  

He helped develop the first course for artists in health care in Ireland, has broadcast on Lyric FM (Ireland's classical music station), and is an active contributor to the British Medical Journal's Medical Classics Section and to national media. O'Neill was awarded the All-Ireland Inspirational Life Award in 2010 for advancing the cause of older people in Ireland.  He is the author of over 300 peer-reviewed papers and chapters.

The award ceremony and lecture are free and open to the public. Since lunch will be provided, RSVPs are requested; please contact Ami Esquivel at aesquivel@une.edu or 207-602-2134. 
 

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.