David Allison

David B. Allison, PhD, is Dean and Distinguished Professor at Indiana University School of Public Health–Bloomington and a proud lifetime member and elected Fellow of Sigma Xi. An elected member of the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academies, he has contributed to research education, promoted research opportunities for others, and conducted original research. Dr. Allison’s research activities include integrity, rigor, reproducibility, transparency, and trustworthiness in science. He also studies energetics (the acquisition, storage and use of metabolizable energy by biological organisms) with emphases on obesity and aging from basic model organism studies through clinical trials, epidemiology, genetic research, meta-analyses, statistical and research methodology, and policy analysis.

David has held many leadership positions. He enjoys working with communities of scholars to conceive and articulate a shared vision for ambitious goals rooted in collective values and shared dreams…and then vigorously pursuing those goals. As a scholar, David tries to lead by example, has been awarded for research creativity and was recognized by Nature in 2008 as one of the most-funded NIH investigators. His research has spanned psychology, physiology, ecology, mechanical engineering, laboratory biology, epidemiology, statistical methods, applied mathematical models, clinical trials, nutrition, exercise, stigmatization, attitudinal measurement, survey research, and more. This has afforded him the opportunity to appreciate and learn to communicate with scientifically minded persons across scientific disciplines, topics, and educational levels. David sees science as a giver of inspirational joy and wonder—a gift he enjoys sharing with others.