Michael F. Holick MD, PhD
Professor, Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition & Weight Management
Professor, Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics
85 E. Newton St | (617) 638-4546mfholick@bu.edu
Sections
Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition & Weight Management
Centers
Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
Biography
Dr. Holick has made numerous contributions to the field of the biochemistry, physiology, metabolism, and photobiology of vitamin D for human nutrition. Dr. Holick has established global recommendations advising sunlight exposure as an integral source of vitamin D. He has helped increase awareness in the pediatric and medical communities regarding vitamin D deficiency pandemic, and its role in causing not only metabolic bone disease, and osteoporosis in adults, but increasing risk of children and adults developing preeclampsia, common deadly cancers, schizophrenia, infectious diseases including TB and influenza, autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis, type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease.
Dr. Holick is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition, and a member of the American Association of Physicians. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the General Clinical Research Centers Program Award for Excellence in Clinical Research from NIH, American College of Nutrition’s Communication Media Award, Best Docs in America, the Linus Pauling Functional Medicine Award from the Institute for Functional Medicine and the Linus Pauling Prize for Human Nutrition. Dr. Holick serves on a number of national committees and editorial boards and has organized and/or co-chaired several international symposia. He served as the chair for the Endocrine Society’s Practice Guidelines on Vitamin D. He has authored more than 400 peer-reviewed publications, and written more than 200 review articles, as well as numerous book chapters. He has acted as editor and/or co-editor on 13 books, and has written The UV Advantage in 2004 and The Vitamin D Solution in 2010 and helped develop the dminder.info app.
Other Positions
Education
MD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
MS, University of Wisconsin-Madison
BS, Seton Hall University
Publications
Shirvani A, Holick MF. Effectiveness of SOLIUS UVB Light System in Enhancing Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Anticancer Res. 2025 Aug; 45(8):3327-3339. PMID: 40750396.
Published on 7/7/2025Pludowski P, Wójcik M, Jaworski M, Ochocinska A, Grant WB, Holick MF. Least Significant Change (LSC) for Serum Concentrations of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D. Nutrients. 2025 Jul 07; 17(13). PMID: 40647349.
Published on 6/25/2025Uçar N, Pickering RT, Mueller PM, Deeney JT, Morales Suárez-Varela M, Soriano JM, Holick MF. Vitamin D3, 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3, and 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Uptake in Cultured Human Mature Adipocytes. Nutrients. 2025 Jun 25; 17(13). PMID: 40647210.
Published on 5/21/2025Alansari K, Davidson BL, Holick MF. A randomized comparison of intramuscular high-dose versus oral maintenance vitamin D to prevent severe exacerbations in deficient/insufficient asthmatic children. J Allergy Clin Immunol Glob. 2025 Aug; 4(3):100497. PMID: 40529482.
Published on 2/22/2025Nikooyeh B, Holick MF, Abdollahi Z, Rasekhi H, Amini M, Ghodsi D, Yari Z, Rabiei S, Kalayi A, Zahedirad M, Yazdani H, Rismanchi M, Neyestani TR. Effectiveness and Potential Toxicity of Bread Fortification With Vitamin D in General Population: A Predictive Modeling Study. J Nutr. 2025 Apr; 155(4):1268-1277. PMID: 39993476.
Published on 2/19/2025Shirvani P, Shirvani A, Holick MF. Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Its Potential Molecular Interplay in Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: A Scoping Review Bridging Cellular Energetics and Genetic Pathways. Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2025 Feb 19; 47(2). PMID: 39996855.
Published on 2/14/2025Shirvani A, Shirvani P, Jonah U, Moore BE, Holick MF. Suspected Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Complex Pathophysiology in Fatal Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Insights from a Case Report and Post-Mortem Findings. Biomedicines. 2025 Feb 14; 13(2). PMID: 40002882.
Published on 2/10/2025Holick MF. The Debatable Clinical Utility of the 2024 Vitamin D Guideline: Bridging the Gap Between Current Guidelines, Practical Clinical Recommendations, and Utilization of Emerging Evidence in Vitamin D Disease Prevention. Endocr Pract. 2025 Mar; 31(3):399-402. PMID: 39938796.
Published on 1/22/2025Uçar N, Holick MF. Illuminating the Connection: Cutaneous Vitamin D3 Synthesis and Its Role in Skin Cancer Prevention. Nutrients. 2025 Jan 22; 17(3). PMID: 39940244.
Published on 1/1/2025Uçar N, Deeney JT, Pickering RT, Fan TY, Loo R, Mueller PM, Holick MF. Interaction of Vitamin D-BODIPY With Fat Cells and the Link to Obesity-associated Vitamin D Deficiency. Anticancer Res. 2025 Jan; 45(1):55-63. PMID: 39740852.
Media Mentions
Published on 8/26/2025
Vitamin D can slow cellular aging, study finds
Published on 8/19/2025
5 Subtle Ways to Up Your Vitamin D Intake, According to Doctors
Published on 7/8/2025
Vitamin D: Forget about the dentist appointment: THIS vitamin can prevent tooth decay by 50%
Published on 6/17/2025
Why Vitamin D Is So Important for Your Health
Published on 5/24/2025
This Vitamin May Slow Aging Process
Published on 4/19/2025
Health Quiz: Which Habit Can Lead To Weaker Bones Over Time?
Published on 10/28/2024
7 winning dietary supplements for sleep, bone health and more
Published on 8/1/2024
7 Supplements That Might Actually Help You
Published on 6/27/2024
Vitamin D2 vs. D3: What’s the Difference?
Published on 6/14/2024
Vitamin May Extend Lifespan, New Research Suggests
View full list of 47 media mentions.