David B. Allison received his bachelor's degree in psychology at Vassar College in 1985. He received both his master's degree and Ph.D. in clinical and school psychology from Hofstra in 1987 and 1990, respectively. He began his career at Indiana University (IU) in 2017 as the dean of the School of Public Health and as a titled Provost Professor.
Before joining the IU faculty, Allison served as the associate dean for research and science in the School of Health Professions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
In 2006, Allison received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring, the nation's highest award for mentoring, given to no more than 10 individuals nationally each year and selected through a peer-review process. In 2008, Nature listed Allison as one of the 22 scientists in the world with the most NIH grants. In 2012, he received a Transformative R01 grant from the NIH, a grant given to only 20 research groups in the country, to conduct seven interrelated experiments designed to test an integrated theory connecting adiposity, longevity, perceptions of energetic insecurity, and disparities in social status.
Allison was elected to the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, one of the most prestigious learned societies. He was just the second member of the IU faculty to earn this honor. He is renowned nationally and internationally for his research on nutrition and obesity as well as his efforts to explore new ideas, challenge common perceptions, and promote scientific research that is conducted with maximum rigor. Allison was also an elected fellow of the National Academy of Medicine as well as the Academy of Europe and the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research.
Allison received the IU Bicentennial Medal in August 2019 in recognition of his distinguished service as Dean of IU Bloomington's School of Public Health.
