About
Culinary Medicine Programming
The culinary medicine program at Marshall University headed by Dr. Andrew Vaughan and Amy Gannon RD embodies the true spirit of culinary medicine, bringing the interdisciplinary team to the table together. The curriculum for the culinary medicine program is funded through Marshall University’s Medical School. Fourth year medical students enroll in the culinary medicine elective which is taught over 2 weeks. They complete a total of 14 Health meets Food culinary medicine modules including 4 hands-on cooking classes. Students study topics including:
- Kitchen Safety and Sanitation
- Introduction to Culinary Medicine and the Mediterranean Diet
- Fats
- Protein, Amino Acids, Vegetarian Diets
- Sodium, Potassium, and Renal Homeostasis
- Cancer Nutrition
- Food and Neurocognition
- Anti Inflammatory Diet
During hands-on cooking classes, medical students are paired with dietetic interns who are simultaneously completing a 2-week culinary medicine rotation of their own. Medical students and dietetic interns work side by side in 4 cooking stations in the Huntington Kitchen (formerly Jamie Oliver’s studio kitchen during the filming of Kitchen Revolution) to prepare recipes highlighting the topic of the day and collaborate to create realistic recommendations for their case study patient to implement. Dietetic interns also provide in depth nutrition knowledge on specific nutrients and foods used in the recipes to their medical student partners. The culinary medicine elective allows for medical students to receive elective credit and meet USMLE objectives while the dietetic interns meet core competencies required to complete their dietetic internship. Both students receive practical experience working with an interdisciplinary team and gain a better understanding of their collogues’ role in patient care to foster increased collaborations in the workforce.
Leadership and Faculty
Andrew Vaughan, MD, MBA
Dr. Vaughan has more than 35 years of experience in cardiology care, specializing in non-invasive, preventive and general cardiology. Vaughan’s practice also places a special emphasis on nutrition as it relates to heart disease and heart health, and he is a Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist.
Amy Gannon, MS, RD, LD
Amy Gannon is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Undergraduate Dietetics Program at Marshall University. She completed her undergraduate degree in Human Nutrition and Foods at West Virginia University and her dietetic internship and master’s degree in Dietetics at Marshall University. She is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instruction, also at Marshall. Before her career as an educator, she worked in community nutrition and in nutrition education. She also worked in both outpatient and inpatient clinical care. Her primary interests are in childhood obesity, nutrition education, and nutrition throughout the lifespan. She has conducted research on the impact of nutrition education in elementary and preschools and in early childcare settings. She also serves as an outpatient dietitian for HealthyKids Weight Management Clinic in Charleston, WV, specializing in the treatment of childhood and adolescent obesity and co-morbid conditions.
Kelli J Williams, PhD, RD, LD
Chair of Dietetics
Kelli J. Williams, PhD, RD, LD, is Department Chair and Professor of Dietetics at Marshall University. She received her doctorate degree from The Ohio State University and has worked in various settings as a dietitian. Her primary interests are in health promotion/disease prevention and obesity. She has conducted research on food availability for rural elderly, perceptions of healthy diet and weight among Appalachian adolescents, and the impact of nutrition education in schools. Currently, Dr. Williams is involved with Marshall’s Nutrition Education Program and serves as the grant’s principal investigator.
