World Vitamin D Day awards honor research examining vitamin D, UVB exposure, and cancer risk
LA JOLLA, Calif. — GrassrootsHealth, a San Diego-based nonprofit public health organization working with more than 50 international vitamin D researchers and experts, today presented the inaugural Baggerly-Garland Lifetime Achievement Awards, honoring three scientists whose pioneering work helped advance the understanding of vitamin D, ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure and cancer risk.
Presented on World Vitamin D Day at Goldberg Auditorium at Moores Cancer Center at the University of California San Diego, the awards were sponsored by Solius Labs and presented in partnership with the Helen Knoll Foundation.
Honoring Pioneers in Vitamin D Research
The recipients are:
Dr. Edward D. Gorham, M.P.H., Ph.D., Emeritus Adjunct Professor, UC San Diego School of Medicine — Gorham helped identify geographic associations among latitude, UVB exposure and breast cancer mortality and has spent decades researching vitamin D and its potential role in cancer prevention.
Dr. William B. Grant, Ph.D., Director, Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center, San Francisco — Grant has researched relationships among solar UVB exposure, vitamin D, cancer and other health outcomes and published scores of relevant scientific papers.
Dr. Joan Lappe, Ph.D., R.N., Professor Emerita of Nursing, Creighton University — Lappe and her colleagues, including the late Professor Robert P. Heaney, pioneered randomized clinical trials investigating vitamin D and calcium supplementation and cancer incidence.
A Visionary Award was also presented in recognition of Carole Baggerly, founder of GrassrootsHealth, honoring her work bringing vitamin D research to public attention and advancing scientific findings into public health action. The Visionary Award is sponsored by the Helen Knoll Foundation.
A Visionary and Lifetime Achievement Award was also presented to Dr. Cedric Garland in recognition of his pioneering epidemiological research on sunlight, vitamin D, and cancer prevention, and his instrumental role alongside Carole Baggerly in founding GrassrootsHealth, guiding its research, and advancing its mission to move science into practice.
The awards are named for Carole and her husband, Dr. Leo Baggerly, along with Dr. Frank Garland, whose work at UC San Diego alongside his brother, Dr. Cedric Garland, helped establish a field of scientific inquiry into the relationship between sunlight, vitamin D, and cancer. Baggerly’s own experience with breast cancer later inspired her to found GrassrootsHealth and champion the work of vitamin D researchers until her passing in 2024.
“These awards recognize scientists who dedicated their careers to advancing our understanding of vitamin D and human health while carrying forward Carole Baggerly’s legacy of moving this important research into practice,” said Jen Aliano, Executive Director of GrassrootsHealth.
“Working with Cedric and Frank Garland changed my life and focused my research in the best way possible — on understanding how much cancer and other devastating diseases we might actually prevent through vitamin D and public health research,” said Dr. Edward D. Gorham. “I am deeply honored by this award, and I hope the work we began together continues to inspire researchers to pursue these important questions and, ultimately, to turn what we have learned into the prevention of disease and the saving of lives.”
Recognition from California State Senator Brian Jones
The ceremony also received special recognition from California State Senator Brian Jones, whose office sent a representative to present GrassrootsHealth and the Helen Knoll Foundation with a Certificate of Recognition. The certificate honored both organizations, “In special recognition of your unwavering dedication to public health by championing groundbreaking vitamin D research in breast cancer prevention, and for honoring the pioneering scientists whose work has made a lasting impact on our community.”
World Vitamin D Day
World Vitamin D Day is observed November 2 to raise awareness about the importance of vitamin D status as our hemisphere generally enters the cooler months, when reduced solar UVB exposure limits the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D. It recognizes that there are risks associated with excessive solar exposure or very high doses of supplements, but also important benefits, according to research.
Prevention Starting Earlier in Life
The partnership with the Helen Knoll Foundation extends the message of prevention to a younger generation. They empower young women to understand their breast cancer risk through education, advocacy, and access to age-appropriate screenings, with a central focus on knowing and optimizing vitamin D levels.
About GrassrootsHealth
GrassrootsHealth is a San Diego-based nonprofit public health organization focused on vitamin D research, education, and advocacy. Working with more than 50 international vitamin D scientists, GrassrootsHealth helps move published research into public health action. The organization is based in Encinitas, California. To learn more about GrassrootsHealth, visit grassrootshealth.net.
About the Helen Knoll Foundation
The Helen Knoll Foundation encourages women to know their family history, understand personal risk factors, and talk proactively with their healthcare providers, making breast health part of the conversation for younger generations.
Media Contact
Jen Aliano
Executive Director, GrassrootsHealth
760-710-9305
Photo Caption: GrassrootsHealth and the Helen Knoll Foundation receive a Certificate of Recognition from California State Senator Brian Jones’ office during the inaugural Baggerly–Garland Vitamin D Scientist Awards ceremony on November 2, 2026. Awards were presented to Drs. Cedric F. Garland, Edward D. Gorham, William B. Grant, and Joan M. Lappe.
