John P Bilezikian, Silberberg Professor of Medicine at the Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University is Vice Chair, Department of Medicine for International Education and Research and Chief, Emeritus, of the Division of Endocrinology. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Physician and the Laureate Distinguished Educator Awards of the Endocrine Society, and from the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research the Frederic C. Bartter, the Gideon Rodan Mentorship and the William F. Neuman Awards. He has published over 950 full length articles and over 10 books. He is considered to be one of the major thought leaders in disorders of mineral metabolism such as osteoporosis and those related to parathyroid hormone. He has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for the past 50 years.