The 2019 Vitamin D Workshop (VDW)

The 2019 Vitamin D Workshop (VDW) is organized by Vitamin D Workshop (VDW) and will be held from May 29 - Jun 01, 2019 at Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America.

Conference Summary:
For 2019, will host 20 invited speakers including two Keynotes. Additional short talksfor each session will be chosen from among the submitted abstracts. Sessions will focus on the role of vitamin D in bone, cancer, immunology, pregnancy and genetics. A highlight will be talks from the PIs of four large ongoing high profile vitamin D supplementation trials (VITAL, ViDA, DO Health and D2D). Additional sessions on vitamin D nutrition and evaluation of vitamin D status have been organized. 

Although vitamin D has been known as an essential nutrient since the first description of rickets in the 1600s, it’s metabolism and mechanism of action is complex and not completely understood. Vitamin D can be produced in the body, but endogenous production is highly variable and requires exposure to ultraviolet radiation (a known carcinogen) from sunlight. The use of exogenous sources of vitamin D (food, dietary supplements, fortified products) is a proven and reliable strategy to maintain vitamin D status. However, population studies indicate that vitamin D deficiency remains prevalent in modern society. Although sub-optimal vitamin D status has been linked to increased risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes and others, there is considerable controversy regarding supplementation benefits and strategies, justifying annual meetings.

Learning Objectives:
The overall goals of our annual workshops are shown in the table at right. We strive for a broad base of the best science involving cell/molecular research studies, issues related to Vitamin D deficiency in the community, role of Vitamin D in wellness/health promotion and potential therapeutic applications of natural and synthetic VDR ligands. This is a not for profit meeting run by academics which typically attracts 200-300 attendees. As an international meeting, the Vitamin D Workshop brings basic investigators, nutrition experts, and clinicians together from around the globe. These individuals come from academia, government and industry, and include graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, junior and senior faculty, regulators and policy makers as well as additional lay individuals and grassroots organizations. It is expected that the interactions among this diverse group of basic and clinical investigators with common interests in Vitamin D will foster new collaborations and promote rational clinical applications and responsible decisions regarding policy relevant to the Vitamin D field. 

Goals:
• To present and discuss the latest peerreviewed scientific research regarding the production, metabolism, and mechanisms of action of vitamin D.
• To discuss the nutritional concerns of worldwide vitamin D deficiency and how best to identify, treat and prevent this condition.
• To examine the role of various vitamin D metabolites and analogs in prevention and treatment of specific diseases
• To review the evidence on the adequate and safe levels of vitamin D that should be achieved/maintained in normal individuals and those with various disease states
• To provide a forum for sharing state of the art research approaches for studying vitamin D, from populations to genetically engineered mouse models to cell and molecular genomics.