Sylvia Christakos is a Distinguished Professor in the Dept. of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ. After completing her Ph.D at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo School of Medicine she completed post-doctoral training at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY and at the University of California, Riverside, Dept. of Biochemistry. Dr. Christakos has received continuous funding from the NIH for the past 40 years for her research related to vitamin D, its function and mechanism of action. Dr. Christakos is a past president of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR). A top priority for Dr. Christakos has been the mentoring of the next generation of scientists including supporting the careers of women in science.