Certified December, 2017.
Associate Dean Student Services, Eastern Division, West Virginia University
Professor, Department of Family Medicine
Dr. Rosemarie (Rosie) Cannarella Lorenzetti is the Associate Dean of Student Services, West Virginia University and a Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the WVU-Eastern Campus. A physician with over 37 years experience, she has been involved in teaching Family Medicine residents and medical students for over 30 years. In June 1994, she started a Rural Family Residency Program with another physician at the location of her general practice. In May 2000, while practicing full time as a physician, she earned her MPH degree from WVU School of Public Health and served as Health officer of Jefferson County, WV from 2000-2008.
In 2013, she and several other faculty started a Culinary Medicine program for the third year medical students on Eastern Campus after receiving an educational grant from the Dean. Five faculty members developed a program called MedCHEFS (Medical student Curriculum in Heathy eating, Exercise and Food Science). They collaborated with a local chef and culinary program at a community college, and began monthly cooking and food prep classes to all the third year students on the regional campus. After 2 yrs, those cooking classes and nutrition education spread to the main campus and other state regional campus for 3rdyear medical students. She also helped the medical students to begin a Culinary Interest group for the health Science Students on the main campus.
In 2016 she created a new separate track at WVU Medical School. The Culinary and Lifestyle Medicine Track was approved by LCME in 2017. Currently, 27 students are enrolled in years 1, 2 and 3 that are getting enhanced education in Food as Nutrition, and other pillars of health – such as adequate physical activity, stress management and restorative sleep.
She is actively involved at the Community level in both research and service, teaching cooking classes at the local Food Pantry, and leading projects involving patient group visits, community cooking demos and work with the local food pantry. She has presented extensively at state and national education group conferences about Culinary Medicine and various medical conditions benefiting from a nutritious eating plan. Her special interests are obesity and the metabolic syndrome and sees patients at the WVU Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Health working specifically with patients to follow a lower carb Mediterranean Diet for weight loss and reversal of metabolic syndrome. She also has a primary care practice at Harpers Ferry Family Medicine.
