George Washington University Culinary Medicine Program

Program Overview

The George Washington University (GWU) Culinary Medicine Program is one of the few in the country to span undergraduate, medical student, and community education in a seamless continuum. Based at the Seva Teaching Kitchen in downtown Washington, D.C., the program blends academic rigor with hands-on cooking and service-learning, preparing students to address real-world challenges around nutrition, food access, and health equity. Its reach is amplified through collaborations both inside and outside the university — partnering across multiple GWU departments such as the Global Food Institute and with Health Equity Alliance, NIH, Meals on Wheels, and other community organizations. Together, these collaborations connect culinary medicine to research, clinical care, and Food is Medicine initiatives at local, national, and global levels.

• Undergraduate students – GWU is one of the few universities to offer Culinary Medicine as part of its undergraduate curriculum. Each year, more than 150 students from a wide range of majors enroll in Fundamentals of Culinary Medicine (CULI 1810) and Topics in Culinary Medicine (CULI 2810). These courses combine lectures with hands-on cooking labs to build kitchen confidence, practical nutrition literacy, and healthy recipe development skills. In Fundamentals, students complete applied projects such as the SNAP Challenge, recipe development, and nutrition communication. Topics in Culinary Medicine builds on this foundation through service-learning preceptorships with nonprofit partners—including Meals on Wheels, the Capital Area Food Bank, and Freshfarm—where students contribute to culturally responsive recipes, pantry resources, and other community-facing tools.
• Medical students – Approximately 50 medical students participate each year through an 8-module elective for 3^rd and 4^th year students. Experiences emphasize nutrition counseling, case-based learning, and hands-on cooking, with opportunities to cook alongside community participants in a hybrid elective and engage in applied, community-facing initiatives..
• Dietetic Interns – Dietetic interns from Virginia Tech can complete a month-long rotation at the Seva Teaching Kitchen, where they support class preparation, assist with teaching, and contribute to applied projects. In addition, they cook alongside medical and undergraduate learners, adding an interprofessional perspective and strengthening team-based approaches to nutrition and culinary practice.
• Community members – Around 100 community participants annually join GWU-led virtual cooking classes from the beginner community series. Sessions emphasize budget-friendly strategies and culturally tailored nutrition approaches, often co-facilitated by medical students.

Beyond the classroom, the program also supports corporate team-building classes and community cooking events, further embedding Culinary Medicine into GWU’s broader mission of advancing health equity and population health. GWU aims to sustain Culinary Medicine as a platform for education, clinical practice, and public engagement. By linking undergraduates, health professional students, and community partners, the program models how Culinary Medicine can strengthen both provider training and population health in the nation’s capital.

Faculty Leadership

• Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS — Executive Director
  Physician, educator, and founder of Dr. Gourmet, Dr. Harlan combines decades of experience in medicine, hospitality, and culinary writing. He leads the program’s strategic direction and curriculum integration.
• Alicia Tucker, MD, FAAP, ABOM — Director of Culinary Medicine Education
  A pediatrician at Children’s National Hospital and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at GWU, Dr. Tucker specializes in obesity medicine. Her work emphasizes the intersection of pediatric care, social determinants of health, and access to quality nutrition.
• Jennifer Leon, BS, RDN, LN, CCMS — Chief Instructor
  Ms. Leon leads undergraduate and community classes, CME programming, and curriculum development. With a background in oncology nutrition and community engagement, she brings expertise in translating evidence-based nutrition into practical kitchen strategies.
• Maya Fiellin, MPH, CCMS — Assistant Director
  Ms. Fiellin oversees program operations, curriculum implementation, and public health partnerships. Her background spans nutrition education, health equity, and hospitality management.
• Genesis Villarreal — Kitchen Manager
  Ms. Villarreal manages the Seva Teaching Kitchen and supports students in developing professional kitchen skills, drawing on her experience in Michelin-starred restaurants and academic foodservice settings.

Spotlight & Media

GWU partnered with DC COOKS! and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to deliver the Health meets Food Beginner Community Class Series for adults recruited from low-income D.C. neighborhoods who are living with or at risk for chronic disease. Sessions emphasize affordable, Mediterranean diet–based meals while NIH collaboration ensures participant outcomes are systematically evaluated, linking community education to broader research on health equity and disease prevention.

Selected Testimonials

“In short, the course was a life-changing and perhaps life-saving experience for me… After I had an unexpected heart attack last October, my wife and I totally changed our eating habits. The timing of this course couldn’t have been more perfect. We learned so much, enjoyed the format, and are looking forward to the next level course.”

“My motivation to participate was that I had very little skills/comfort in the kitchen and wanted to learn more recipes that would fuel my body before I start medical residency. My kitchen and knife skills improved SO MUCH, and I now feel much more efficient in the kitchen. Jennifer and Max, your kindness and bright personalities were the highlight of this class.”

“Like many people, I’d gained 20–25 pounds since 2021. This course provided valuable knowledge on the Mediterranean diet and meal prep, and it’s had a domino effect — I’m no longer ordering takeout, I’m exercising more, and I feel more connected to a community of learners.”

“The Culinary Medicine Beginner Adult Community Course was excellent. The instructors were knowledgeable and engaging, and the recipes were tasty and realistic. I’ve adopted many of the changes and continue to use the recipes, which has made cooking easier and more enjoyable.”

Lessons Learned & Advice for Other Programs

GWU faculty emphasize the importance of collaboration and humility when building Culinary Medicine programs. Their advice: don’t reinvent the wheel. Connect with others who are already doing similar work, learn from their mistakes, and adapt proven strategies to your own setting. By engaging with the broader community of teaching kitchens and academic programs, new initiatives can save time, avoid common pitfalls, and build on best practices while tailoring the experience to their own learners and communities.