Vitamin D can be converted in the body to biologically active metabolites, such as 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, that interact with nuclear transcription factors that lead to changes in gene expression and cell function. Research in Dr. Wood’s laboratory focuses on understanding the role of vitamin D as it relates to the molecular mechanisms associated with intestinal calcium transport, and more recently on fat cell function. In this context, the laboratory is also interested in the functional consequences of various genetic polymorphisms in genes associated with vitamin D signaling and diet-gene interactions. Recently, the laboratory has begun to explore the effects of various bioactive food components found in plant foods on cellular epigenetic changes in fat cells and intestinal cells and how these changes influence cellular vitamin D action.