About
Physician, Chef, and Culinary Medicine Educator & Researcher
Dr. Nate Wood has dedicated his career to the field of “culinary medicine,” firmly believing that what we eat can be simultaneously healthy and delicious. His work combines his passions for medicine, food, teaching, and media to empower others to enjoy food in a healthy way.
Medicine
Nate is an instructor of medicine, primary care doctor, and board-certified internal medicine and obesity medicine physician at the Yale School of Medicine, where he sees patients both in the hospital and in the clinic. A native Michigander, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Linguistics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (Go Blue!) and Doctorate of Medicine from the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. He completed his residency in internal medicine–primary care at Yale New Haven Hospital during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and his medical education fellowship at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.
Food & Teaching
Before becoming a doctor, Nate answered to “chef.” He attended culinary school at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, where he received the Top Toque Award for graduating first in his class. He completed his externship at the two Michelin-starred restaurant The Modern under Executive Chef Abram Bissell and Chef de Cuisine Thomas Allan.
The inaugural Director of Culinary Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, Nate oversees many patient care, medical education, community outreach, and research endeavors related to healthy cooking and eating. Nate especially loves his role as a teacher, having earned his Master of Health Science in Medical Education from Yale University. He teaches and mentors a wide variety of healthcare professionals and trainees in culinary medicine, including residents, medical students, physician associate students, nurses, and practicing physicians alike. His research focuses on developing, implementing, and testing novel culinary medicine curricula. Nate has published research, case studies, and academic perspective articles in a variety of prestigious medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of General Internal Medicine, Arthritis & Rheumatology, and more.
Media
Nate first began writing as the food critic for his college newspaper, The Michigan Daily. Since then, his articles have been published by numerous national outlets, including The Washington Post and ABC News. He’s been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, Forbes, HuffPost, National Geographic, WebMD, Parade, Consumer Reports, Prevention, and many others.
Behind the camera, Nate’s had the opportunity to help produce segments for household names like Sanjay Gupta, Mehmet Oz, Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, and Martha Stewart. His work in nationally syndicated daytime television earned him a production award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at the 45th Daytime Emmy Awards. In front of the camera, Nate made his Netflix debut as a contestant in Season 1, Episode 4 of “Best Leftovers Ever!” He’s been featured on Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, Inside Edition, The Dr. Oz Show, ABC News Live, Global News, Scripps News, Fox Weather, and numerous local news stations.
In 2020, Nate won an MTV Video Music Award in the “Everyday Heroes: Frontline Medical Workers” category. The following year, he was named one of Connecticut Magazine’s annual “40 Under 40.” He loves using his platform to share a reassuring bedside manner and easy-to-understand medical explanations with viewers, listeners, and readers of all kinds.