Program 1: John J. Cannell, M.D., Director, Vitamin D Council

In the past few decades, prevalence rates of autism have skyrocketed, with recent reports finding that 1 in 86 American children suffer from autism. The cause of autism is poorly understood but clearly has both a genetic and environmental basis. Researchers are scrambling to further their understanding of autism and what causes it. In 2001, Dr. John McGrath suggested vitamin D plays a role in neural development. Six years later, Cannell theorized that vitamin D plays a role specifically in autism. Come learn about his theory and what all the research to date shows on the link between vitamin D and autism.

Program 2: Cedric Garland, DPH, Adjunct Professor, Family & Preventive Medicine, Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego

Garland is a pioneering researcher on the role of solar ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation and vitamin D in reducing risk of several types of cancers, including breast, colon and ovarian cancers, as well as adult leukemia. He will review findings by his group and others that UVB and vitamin D are very effective in reducing the risk of breast cancer and increasing survival for those diagnosed with breast cancer. A recent study by his group found that women in the military with vitamin D levels of 40 ng/ml had half the risk of breast cancer occurring during the next three months than those with vitamin D levels less than 15 ng/ml. This study revealed that the effect of vitamin D on risk of breast cancer is experienced almost immediately. Though there are many risk-modifying factors for breast cancer, raising vitamin D levels appears to be the most efficient way to reduce risk, Garland says, and it has many other health benefits.

MLF: Health & Medicine/Science & Technology
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon autism program, 1:30 p.m. breast cancer program
Cost: $30 non-members, $12 members, $10.50 students (with valid ID). Price includes both events.
Program Organizer: Bill Grant

Sanjay Basu, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine and Epidemiologist, Prevention Research Center at Stanford University; Co-author, The Body Economy: Why Austerity Kills

Can public health be upheld during years of financial crisis? Through his international research, Dr. Basu posits that austerity and government policy become a matter of life and death during these historic times. He will discuss his research regarding sugar and diet in relation to the economy and recession.

MLF: Health & Medicine
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Bill Grant

Richard Louv, Journalist; Author, The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder

Louv’s best-selling book Last Child in the Woods sparked a national debate that spawned an international movement to reconnect kids to nature. He coined the term "nature-deficit disorder," influenced national policy and helped inspire campaigns in more than 80 cities, states and provinces throughout North America. Now, Louv delivers another powerful call to action, this time for adults, offering a new vision of the future, in which our lives are as immersed in nature as they are in technology.

MLF: Health & Medicine
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Bill Grant

Daphne Miller, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, UCSF; Author, Farmacology

Did you know that our biological makeup is similar to that of soil? This fascinating fact led practicing family physician Miller to ask: What can a family farmer teach a family doctor? So she spent time on seven ecological family farms, meeting inspiring farmers and renowned biomedical scientists. She will present their insights and research along with stories from her own medical practice.

MLF: Health & Medicine
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Bill Grant

Steve Blake, Doctor of Science, Nutritional Biochemistry; Author, A Nutritional Approach to Alzheimer¹s Disease

What you eat may play a powerful role in determining your chance of developing Alzheimer's disease. Learn how folate and vitamin B12 lower the buildup of amyloid plaques by lowering homocysteine. Recent research shows that cooking methods can reduce the inflammation and oxidation in Alzheimer's disease. Blake will also discuss medical studies linking lowered risk of Alzheimer's disease to intake of antioxidant fruits and vegetables, as well as double-blind studies demonstrating which supplements and medical plants have been shown to be effective in reducing the risk and progression of this common dementia.

MLF: Health & Medicine
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing
Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Bill Grant