Staff
John J. Cannell, M.D., Founder and Medical Director
Dr. Cannell founded the Vitamin D Council in 2003 upon a renewed interest in clinical nutrition while working as a psychiatrist at the Atascadero State Hospital.
A born activist, he has found himself at the forefront of various campaigns in his lifetime, including education reform and anti-smoking campaigns.
Dr. Cannell has published several peer-reviewed papers on vitamin D and often gives talks on the subject all over the country.He is the proud father of five.
Dr. Cannell holds a Doctor of Medicine from the University of North Carolina and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland. He has served the medical field as a general practitioner, itinerant emergency physician, and psychiatrist.
Read Dr. Cannell’s full biography here. View Dr. Cannell’s bibliography here. Read Dr. Cannell’s blogs and old newsletters here.
Missy Sturges, Executive Director
Missy is the Executive Director of the Vitamin D council. She is responsible for overseeing the administration, programs and strategic planning of the organization. She also focuses on writing articles, fundraising and keeping up with the latest research.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in nutrition from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo.
Missy’s passion for vitamin D derives from her personal battle with an unexplained inflammatory disorder. When she is not at the Vitamin D Council, she enjoys her time with her husband, animals and the outdoors.
Contact Missy at: [email protected] Read Missy Sturges’s blogs here.
Riley Peterson, Program Manager
Riley is the Program Manager of the Vitamin D Council. She is responsible for customer’s concerns, managing social media, and overseeing test kit production.
She is attending California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo with a major in nutrition.
Riley is passionate about health and fitness, and spends a lot of her time outside in the sun staying active with friends and family. She loves her work at the Vitamin D Council as it enables her to spread awareness on health and wellness in her community.
Contact Riley at: [email protected] Read Riley Peterson’s blogs here.
Sara Nygaard, Customer Relations Representative
Sara is the Customer Relations representative of the Vitamin D Council. She is responsible for customer’s concerns, managing social media, and overseeing test kit production.
Sara is a fourth year Nutrition student at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She is expected to graduate in the fall of 2018.
Outside of work, Sara volunteers for her church to help at risk youth and enjoys spending time with her friends.
Contact Sara at: [email protected]
Board members
Geoffrey Lubbock, President
Geoffrey Lubbock is Vice President of Financial Strategic Planning and Policy at NSTAR.
He is the son of David Lubbock and grandson of Nobel Prize winner Lord Boyd Orr, who respectively, were the inaugural Secretary General and Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, the first world nutrition branch of the United Nations.
Previously, they had set up one of the first nutrition research facilities, the Rowett Research Institute.They played a critical role in introducing milk in schools in Scotland to eliminate rickets through the provision of vitamin D and calcium to every child.
Read Geoffrey Lubbock’s blogs here.
William Grant, PhD, Board member
Dr. Grant is Founding Director of Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center (SUNARC), an entity devoted to research and education relating to the prevention of chronic disease through changes in diet and lifestyle.
He has published numerous peer-reviewed papers on a variety of subjects within the field of health and nutrition, etiology and of course, vitamin D. He is particularly interested in the role of solar ultraviolet-B(UVB) in reducing the risk of many types of disease including cancer and infectious diseases.
Dr. Grant has a Doctorate of Philosophy in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Read Dr Grant’s blogs here.
Roy Casto, Board member
Roy H. Casto has a total of 38 years professional experience in the field of education. He has taught on a variety of different platforms including high school, college, university and professional nursing program levels.
Born and raised in West Virginia, Roy is married, the father of four and the grandfather of seven. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and a Master of Science in Biology.
Sadeq Quraishi, MD, MHA, Board member
Dr. Quraishi is a practicing staff Anesthesiologist and an Intensive Care Unit physician at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. As an Assistant Professor of Anaesthesia at Harvard Medical School, his research interest is in the role of vitamin D in acute stress and critical illness.
Dr. Quraishi is also very passionate about education reform and the need to drive effective social policies through good science.As such, he holds leadership positions within multiple academic, civic,and health policy-related organizations. Married for over 15 years, the Quraishis are blessed to have three children who keep them very busy!
Dr. Quraishi received his medical degree from Penn State College of Medicine, where he also completed his training in Anesthesiology. He received further training in Intensive Care Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed advanced research training at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health.
Read Sadeq Quriashi’s blogs here.
Patrick Crawford, Board member
For the past thirty years, Patrick Crawford was the principal partner in the Research Group, a commercial real estate evaluation and consulting firm in Los Angeles.
He retired from the Research Group in 2010, and now does part-time consulting work for various bank clients in Southern California.
Patrick Wallen, Board member
Patrick Wallen is a professor of Electrical Engineering at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo.
He has over 15 years of experience of Aerospace engineering.
Partners
Better Business Financial Services
BBFS, based out of San Luis Obispo, CA, provide payroll, tax, accounting and budgeting services for companies and organizations. They have a particular interest in assisting nonprofit organizations in the San Luis Obispo area. They act as a controller for the Vitamin D Council, helping us manage our organization with professional financial services.
Visit their website at: www.bbfsslo.com.
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Sep11
Vitamin D may be an independent predictor of Graves’ disease recurrence
A recent retrospective study discovered that low vitamin D status may act as an independent predictor of recurrence of Graves’ disease.
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