Culinary Medicine

Diane Imrie
Director of Nutrition Services and Founder of the Culinary Medicine Program

Diane Imrie is a Registered Dietitian and holds a Master of Business Administration degree. She works as the Director of Nutrition Services at University of Vermont Medical Center, where she is responsible for clinical, retail and patient Nutrition Services, as well a nationally recognized food sustainability program. Diane received the first Fletcher Allen CEO leadership award, titled "Living the Leadership Philosophy," and the Pyramid Award from the Vermont Dietetic Association for improving the health of Vermonters. Most recently, Diane was a national Silver Plate 2016 award winner for Foodservice Operator of the Year. She is passionate about local food, both personally and professionally, and is the co-author of a cookbook highlighting seasonal cooking titled “Cooking Close to Home.” She owns and operates a small farm with her husband in Vermont.

R. Leah Pryor
Executive Chef Manager and Co-Founder of the Culinary Medicine Program

Chef Leah started her culinary career in 1994. She graduated the Culinary Institute of America with her AOS in culinary arts in 2000. She promptly took the chef position at Fog Island Café, where she ran the kitchen and externship program, teaching young cooks the ways of from-scratch, high-volume breakfast and lunch cookery. She then followed her passion for food to Vermont and took the chef position at Mary’s Restaurant Inn at Baldwin Creek. She worked closely with Chef/Owner Doug Mack, who started the Vermont Fresh Network in 1996, way before farm-to-table was a movement. In 2010 Chef Leah decided to make a change and went to work for the University of Vermont Medical Center. In 2017 she was awarded a UVM Medical Center Foundation grant, through which she has been able to create the Chef Educator role and expand the Culinary Medicine program. In 2020, she was promoted to Executive Chef Manager in Nutrition Services, overseeing the culinary aspects of Patient Services, and continues her work as a co-founder of the Culinary Medicine program.

Gretchen Berry
Patient Service Manager and Leader of the Culinary Medicine Program

Gretchen is a graduate of the University of Vermont (BS in Dietetics and minor in Food Systems) and the University of Pittsburgh, where she completed her dietetic internship and Masters of Science in Clinical Nutrition. As a Registered Dietitian, Gretchen has practiced in a variety of clinical and outpatient settings over the past 10 years. She joined the University of Vermont Medical Center in 2020, and was recently promoted to the position of Patient Services Manager. Gretchen is passionate about sustainable food systems, food justice and making culinary medicine accessible to all people.