MED Prof Honored for Research
MED’s Michael F. Holick receives a standing ovation for his research on vitamin D.
Michael F. Holick, a School of Medicine professor of medicine, physiology, and biophysics, recently received the Linus Pauling Functional Medicine Award for his work on the role vitamin D plays in various chronic health conditions.
The Institute for Functional Medicine presents the award every two years to an individual whose research or clinical expertise has contributed substantially to the advancement of knowledge in functional medicine. Holick, director of MED’s General Clinical Research Center and the Bone Healthcare Clinic at Boston Medical Center, accepted the award at the institute’s symposium on May 24, where he received a standing ovation from about 700 attendees.
Holick began studying vitamin D in graduate school at the University of Wisconsin in 1969. His work has led to the creation of new therapies for numerous diseases, such as osteoporosis and psoriasis.
Holick, whose research shows that 30 to 50 percent of the U.S. population is vitamin D deficient, promotes sensible sun exposure and a greater intake of the vitamin. “What I’m really pleased about is the fact that [the institute is] now promoting vitamin D for health,” he says.
Rebecca McNamara can be reached at ramc@bu.edu.