awards and is first author on a range of peer-reviewed articles focusing on bone metabolism. He oversees an active research program designed to explore the use of drugs to treat osteoporosis and reverse low bone mineral density. Dr. Aloia receives research funding through the Empire Clinical Research Investigator Program, which awards competitive grants through the New York State Department of Health in support of physician training in the methodology, implementation, and evaluation of clinical research. The topic for this grant is the Response to Vitamin D in elderly African American Women. He has a research award from the NIH targeted to the study of vitamin D and osteoporosis prevention in elderly African American women. Previous NIH support included trials of estrogen and calcium, body composition in white and African American women, and vitamin D supplementation in African American women in midlife. Dr. Aloia is the recipient of a research grant from Merck (interaction between calcium and vitamin D intake in postmenopausal women). Dr. Aloia is also Principal Investigator at Winthrop-University Hospital for Unigene [TARSA] and Amgen Clinical Trials. Dr. Aloia participated in the NIH conference, “Vitamin D and Health in the 21st Century: An Update,” held in Bethesda, Maryland, September 5–6, 2007. Dr. Aloia is a Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology. He is also a member of several professional societies including the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, the American College of Physicians, the American Diabetes Association, the American Medical Association, the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, the Endocrine Society, the International Bone and Mineral Society, and the National Osteoporosis Foundation. He received his medical degree from Creighton University Medical School, Omaha.

PATSY M. BRANNON, Ph.D., R.D., is Professor, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University where she has also served as Dean of the College of Human Ecology. Prior to moving to Cornell University, Dr. Brannon was Chair, Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland. She has also served as Visiting Professor, Office of Dietary Supplements, NIH. Her research focus includes nutritional and metabolic regulation of gene expression, especially as relating to human development, the placenta, and exocrine pancreas. She chaired an NIH initiative to plan effective federal research related to the health effects of vitamin D; and has also co-chaired the NIH program “Vitamin D and Health in the 21st Century: An Update” as well as coordinated the vitamin D round table associated with the conference. Dr. Brannon is a member of a number of professional and scientific associations including the American Dietetics Association, the Institute of Food Technologists, and the American Association for the