Family remembers father, scientist

The family of the late Om Parkash Bahl, a distinguished UB professor whose scientific research led to the development of the home pregnancy test, is remembering him by raising money for a new endowed professorship in the UB College of Arts and Sciences.

They have set a $1 million goal for the Om P. Bahl Professorship in Biological Sciences. Family members have given a generous gift to start the process, while also encouraging former students, colleagues and friends to join them in the effort. Bahl died in December 2004. The endowed professorship will continue Bahl's teaching example and further his academic work by providing the resources to attract scholars of his character and caliber in the field of biological sciences. The monies will support the selected scholar in his or her research initiatives.

Bahl, whose research helped establish the molecular structure of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) -- better known as the pregnancy hormone -- in the early 1970s, had been looking for a safer means of contraception while focusing on the relationship between cancer and the abnormal production of the pregnancy hormone.

Born in Lyallpur, India, in 1927, Bahl earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Lahore Government College and Punjab University, ranking first in his classes. He received his doctorate from the University of Minnesota.

Bahl joined UB in 1966 as assistant professor, rising to full professor in 1971 and serving as chair of the Department of Biological Sciences from 1976-83.