Leah Sarris. Tulane University

Teaching medical students how to cook and giving them good knowledge about food is a key factor for chef Leah Sarris, who is the Program Director of the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University. She runs the teaching kitchen in a groundbreaking new program that teaches students, doctors and patients the tenets of healthy cooking and the significant role food plays in preventing and managing obesity and associated diseases. As the first full-time chef ever employed by a medical school, Leah uses her culinary background to translate the latest nutrition science into practical strategies patients can take home to reduce their salt intake, cut calories and eat more healthful meals. “Doctors are dealing with a problem after it exists, but chefs can change the whole health of the nation. They are feeding people, which can cause or cure diseases”, says Sarris, who is also co-founder of The International Society of Neurogastronomy.