Since 2023, University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre (CPC) has played host to Cordon Bleu-trained Chef Marzio Lanzini, as part of their pioneering multi-disciplinary initiative, the Chef in Residence Program.  As part of the CPC RPA Health for Life Program, spearheaded by globally recognised expert in longevity and preventative medicine, Professor Luigi Fontana, this innovative approach has been transforming the way we understand health and wellbeing, and addressing critical public health challenges through the lens of food and exercise as preventative medicine. As Chef Lanzini finishes his residency this month, we take the opportunity to look at the program’s beginnings and its incredible impact on participants.

The Chef in Residence program emerged from a simple yet profound observation. Professor Fontana, having dedicated many years to researching the impact of lifestyle on chronic diseases, noticed a significant gap between knowledge and practical application. "We know that diet plays a crucial role in preventing diseases like diabetes and heart disease," Fontana explains. "But when I would advise patients to eat more vegetables, whole grains, and beans, they often looked bewildered, not knowing where to start or how to prepare these foods."

This disconnect underscored the need for a more hands-on approach. The CPC already had a state-of-the-art kitchen and exercise facility, but they were underutilised - a missed opportunity. That is, until the Chef in Residence and Exercise as Medicine programs were conceived.

Built on a foundation of philanthropy, the CPC is helped by a number of donors. In this instance with the help of the Australian Youth and Health Foundation, the kitchen was transformed into a ‘metabolic kitchen’. Operating as a hub for education and innovation, where theory is paired with real-world practical advice. They just needed the real-world culinary experts – enter Chef Marzio Lanzini.

Marzio’s love for food started early, cooking in his family’s restaurant. After graduating from Sydney’s Cordon Bleu, he worked in Michelin-starred venues across Europe before finally settling back in Sydney where he worked in some of the city’s top restaurants. Having always had a passion for food science and nutrition, when the opportunity came up to be the Chef in Residence at the CPC, he jumped at the chance. “In the beginning it was a bit daunting because nobody really knew what the position would entail, so we had to figure it out. Now a lot of progress has been made and being able to get firsthand knowledge from researchers is such a privilege.”

Marzio’s role as the first Chef in Residence has been instrumental in realising the program's vision, where he collaborates closely with a team that includes exercise physiologist David Hutchinson, a dietitian and researchers and scientists like Professor Fontana. Together, they bring the science of 'food and exercise as medicine' to life through practical, hands-on clinical, educational, and engagement activities.

As the program has taken shape, Marzio’s day has involved everything from visiting Sydney high schools to teaching students how to shop and prepare a healthy lunch, to running cooking workshops for clinical patients at the CPC-RPA Clinic. "A lot of what I do involves developing modules that can be delivered in workshops," Lanzini says. "We’re teaching people how to cook vegetables in ways that are both tasty and healthy, how to prepare whole grains and beans, and even how to meal prep so that you can easily pull something together in 15 minutes after a full day of work, so eating healthily doesn't become overwhelming."