Dr. John Licciardone named UNT System Regents Professor

September 18, 2019
Education

For over three decades, Dr. John C. Licciardone has been making a difference. His research is world renowned, his writing has been published in national and international journals and his impact on the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine has been considerable.

In recognition of his work and the contributions he has made to TCOM, the UNT System Board of Regents has awarded Dr. Licciardone the select academic distinction of Regents Professor. He is the first professor in TCOM’s nearly 50-year history to receive this honor.

“I am honored to be the first recipient of a Regents Professorship at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine,” said Dr. Licciardone said. “Over the years, it has been most gratifying to teach courses and interact with students not only in TCOM, but also in the Physician Assistant Studies Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the School of Public Health.”

Dr. Licciardone, who has been with UNT Health Science Center for 32 years, is an innovator in pain research. He is the Executive Director of the Osteopathic Research Center, and he spearheaded the formation of the PRECISION Pain Research Registry at UNTHSC.

He has authored over 100 articles and been funded by more than 40 grants, including over 30 consecutive years of extramural funding from the National Institutes of Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Education and other national organizations.

He holds the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Distinguished Chair in Clinical Research in honor of Drs. David Richards and Benjamin Cohen, former President and Provost of UNT Health Science Center. The PRECISION Pain Research Registry, which focuses on precision medicine and biopsychosocial approaches to pain management, is emerging as the first statewide pain research registry in the nation.

Dr. Frank Filipetto, Dean of TCOM said Dr. Licciardone is very deserving of the honor.

“This is a tremendous honor for Dr. Licciardone and speaks to the tremendous work he has done at TCOM and UNT Health Science Center in the field of osteopathic research,” Dr. Filipetto said. “His research on the effectiveness of osteopathic medicine is renowned and respected on a national and international level and for him to receive this honor from the UNT System speaks to the transformational career he has had at TCOM. We are very proud of this very deserving honor for Dr. Licciardone.”

Dr. Licciardone’s research has been recognized at the highest levels. In 2007, he received the Gutensohn-Denslow Research Award from the American Osteopathic Foundation. He has received multiple awards from UNTHSC for his research. In 2011 he received the President’s Faculty Award for Research Excellence and in 2008 the Benjamin L. Cohen Award for Outstanding Research Achievement.

Dr. Licciardone has served as a consultant to the World Health Organization on regulatory and safety issues relating to osteopathy in Europe and other nations. He gave the keynote address at Advancing Osteopathy 2008, a conference celebrating the 10th anniversary of osteopaths in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, during which his research contributions to osteopathy were recognized in a reception with His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales.

Most recently in August 2019, a registry study by Dr. Licciardone showed that osteopathic medicine’s emphasis on physician empathy and interpersonal manner is associated with better clinical outcomes and greater patient satisfaction.

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