David B. Allison

• 1985 – B.A., Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York
• 1987 – M.A., Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York
• 1990 – PhD., Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York
• 1991 – Post-Doc, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• 1994 – Fellowship, Columbia University and St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center

According to data analyzed by the journal Nature, Allison has ranked in the top 10 for most federally funded grants.{{cite web|url=http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080319/pdf/452258a.pdf|title=NIH Grants|work=nature.com}} Allison has been described as one of the leading skeptics regarding commonly issued nutrition advice.{{cite web|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/latest-columns/20150529-peter-whoriskey-why-were-so-confused-about-healthy-food.ece|title=Peter Whoriskey: Why we're so confused about healthy food|work=dallasnews.com|date=2015-05-29}} Author Judith Stern wrote "He is also known for challenging conventional ideas, exploring novel hypotheses, and holding himself and others to rigorous standards of evidence." Although Allison has had some critics regarding his stance on questioning the link between consuming any one particular food and obesity, he has been defended by others and praised for his strong adherence to solid scientific practice.{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/10/feds-poised-to-withdraw-longstanding-warnings-about-dietary-cholesterol|title= Feds about to withdraw warnings concerning cholesterol|work=washingtonpost.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevorbutterworth/2011/06/22/abc-news-attacks-scientist-who-exposed-bias-in-obesity-research|title= Scientist Exposes Bias in Obesity Research|work=forbes.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevorbutterworth/2011/09/02/abcs-persecution-of-presidential-award-winning-scientist-continues|title=Presidential Award Winning Scientist has the last word|work=forbes.com}} For instance, author Terence Kealey referred to Allison as a “heroic guerrilla,” noting Allison's willingness to question the evidential bases of cherished beliefs in nutrition such as the special value of breakfast consumption.{{Cite book|last=Kealey, Terence|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/949749449|title=Breakfast is a dangerous meal : why you should ditch your morning meal for health and wellbeing|date=19 December 2016|isbn=978-0-00-817234-3|location=London|oclc=949749449}}

Allison was the founding Field Chief Editor of Frontiers in Genetics, finishing his term in 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics|title=Frontiers in Genetics|website=www.frontiersin.org}} Allison is a fellow of the National Academy of Medicine, and was recently appointed to the Academy of Europe.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Allison_David|title=Academy of Europe: Allison David|website=www.ae-info.org}}{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.iu.edu/iusph/2017/09/08/dean-david-b-allison-invited-to-join-the-academy-of-europe-academia-europaea/|title=Dean David B. Allison invited to join The Academy of Europe, Academia Europaea – IU School of Public Health-Bloomington|website=blogs.iu.edu}} He also serves as a frequent consultant and expert witness in the legal setting.{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/business/04obese.html?_r=0 | title=Menu Fight Over Calories Leads Doctor to Reject Post | work=New York Times | date=4 March 2008 | access-date=4 August 2015 | author=Saul, Stephanie}}

The University of Alabama at Birmingham recently established the Ronald L. and David. B Allison Endowed Scholar Award and Fund to honor Professor Allison and his father, Ronald, and to provide support for junior faculty who do not yet have R01 funding from the National Institutes of Health. UAB Department of Nutrition Sciences Assistant Professor R. Drew Sayer was named the first Allison scholar, in 2021.{{Cite web|last=Storr|first=Kevin|title=Drew Sayer named inaugural Ronald L. and David B. Allison Endowed Scholar - School of Health Professions News {{!}} UAB|url=https://www.uab.edu/shp/news/home/students-faculty/sayer-named-allison-scholar|access-date=2021-05-20|website=www.uab.edu|date=17 March 2021 |language=en-gb}}

On June 23, 2021, the [https://nathanshockcenters.org/ Nathan Shock Centers Coordinating Center] held a webinar entitled [https://nathanshockcenters.org/june2021webinar-1 Best Practices for Using Animals in Aging Research] featuring presentations by Arlan Richardson, Ph.D., Catherine Kaczorowski, Ph.D., and Allison and moderated by Steven Austad, Ph.D.

• Named the 2022 Hooker Distinguished Visiting Professor for his leadership and research in the areas of obesity and nutrition, quantitative genetics, clinical trials, statistical and research methodology, and research rigor and integrity{{cite web |title=Public health dean David Allison is Hooker Distinguished Visiting Professor |url=https://healthsci.mcmaster.ca/home/2022/02/22/public-health-dean-is-hooker-distinguished-visiting-professor |website=McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences}}
• Recipient of The Obesity Society's 2021 Friends of Albert (Mickey) Stunkard Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his lifetime of outstanding contributions to the field of obesity in terms of scholarship, mentorship, and education.{{Cite web|last=The Obesity Society|date=October 22, 2021|title=The Obesity Society Award Recipients 2021|url=https://www.obesity.org/the-obesity-society-award-recipients-2020/|url-status=live|access-date=October 22, 2021|website=The Obesity Society|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120162033/https://www.obesity.org/the-obesity-society-award-recipients-2020/ |archive-date=2021-01-20 }}
• Appointed to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) ad hoc committee to address inaccurate and misleading information about biological threats through scientific collaboration and communication in 2021.{{Cite web|title=Project: Addressing Inaccurate and Misleading Information about Biological Threats through Scientific Collaboration and Communication|url=https://www8.nationalacademies.org/pa/projectview.aspx?key=52252|access-date=2021-05-20|website=www8.nationalacademies.org}}
• Recipient of the American Statistical Association's San Antonio Chapter 2020 Don Owen Award in recognition of excellence in research, statistical consultation, and service to the statistical community.{{Cite web|title=Dean honored with 2020 Don Owen award: News: News & Events: School of Public Health: Indiana University Bloomington|url=https://publichealth.indiana.edu/news-events/_news/don-owen-award.html|access-date=2020-10-27|website=School of Public Health|language=en}}
• Recipient of the 2020 Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Nutritional Science Award by the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) and its Foundation.
• Testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s hearing “Strengthening Transparency or Silencing Science? The Future of Science in EPA Rulemaking” as a member of NASEM’s Reproducibility and Replicability in Science Committee. Held November 13, 2019.{{cite web |title=Strengthening Transparency or Silencing Science? The Future of Science in EPA Rulemaking {{!}} House Committee on Science, Space and Technology |url=https://science.house.gov/hearings/strengthening-transparency-or-silencing-science-the-future-of-science-in-epa-rulemaking |website=science.house.gov |access-date=21 January 2021 |language=en}}
• Selected to receive The Harry V. Roberts Statistical Advocate of the Year Award from the American Statistical Association, 2018.
• Elected to European Academy of Sciences and Arts, 2018.
• Elected to the Academia Europaea, 2017. Academia Europaea is the only Europe-wide Academy with individual membership from Council of Europe states and other nations across the world and is an organisation of eminent, individual scientists and scholars, covering the full range of academic disciplines.
• Received the Thomas A. Wadden Award for Distinguished Mentorship from the Obesity Society, 2017.
• Recipient of the National Science Foundation–administered 2006 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM), the nation's highest honor for mentors who work with underrepresented groups to develop the nation's human resources in STEM (see [https://paesmem.net/paesmemRecognition/awardeeCurrentProfile/966?referer=AWARDEE_SEARCH&filterUpdate=true&awardeeName=allison&state=&year=&category=&go=Find&max=10&offset=0&userId=2070003 awardee profile page]).

The New England Journal of Medicine published an article by Allison's group that details myths and presumptions about obesity, and that the scientific community must be open and honest with the public regarding the state of knowledge and should rigorously evaluate unproved strategies.{{cite journal | title=Myths, Presumptions, and Facts about Obesity | journal=New England Journal of Medicine | volume=368 | issue=5 | pages=446–454 | date=20 February 2013| doi=10.1056/NEJMsa1208051 | pmid=23363498 | pmc=3606061 | last1=Casazza | first1=Krista | last2=Fontaine | first2=Kevin R. | last3=Astrup | first3=Arne | last4=Birch | first4=Leann L. | last5=Brown | first5=Andrew W. | last6=Bohan Brown | first6=Michelle M. | last7=Durant | first7=Nefertiti | last8=Dutton | first8=Gareth | last9=Foster | first9=E. Michael | last10=Heymsfield | first10=Steven B. | last11=McIver | first11=Kerry | last12=Mehta | first12=Tapan | last13=Menachemi | first13=Nir | last14=Newby | first14=P.K. | last15=Pate | first15=Russell | last16=Rolls | first16=Barbara J. | last17=Sen | first17=Bisakha | last18=Smith | first18=Daniel L. | last19=Thomas | first19=Diana M. |author19-link= Diana Thomas (mathematician) | last20=Allison | first20=David B. }} In a 2016 article in the journal Nature, Allison and his colleagues found that mistakes in peer-reviewed papers are easy to find, but hard to fix.{{cite journal| title=Reproducibility: A Tragedy of Errors | journal=Nature | volume=530 | issue=7588 | pages=27–29 | date=3 February 2016| doi=10.1038/530027a | last1=Allison | first1=David B. | last2=Brown | first2=Andrew W. | last3=George | first3=Brandon J. | last4=Kaiser | first4=Kathryn A. | pmid=26842041 | pmc=4831566 | bibcode=2016Natur.530...27A }} Allison has been funded by the National Institutes of Health to teach courses on identifying causal relations in the study of obesity, and exploring traditional and non-traditional techniques that give investigators a broad spectrum of approaches for intervention and preventative treatment of obesity.{{cite web|url=http://www.norc.uab.edu/courses/causal_inference_shortcourse/second | title=Strengthening Causal Inference in Behavioral Obesity Research}} The National Institutes of Health is currently funding Allison to explore statistical tools to improve research reproducibility, replicability, and generalizability so as to contribute broadly to fostering fundamental creative discoveries, innovative research strategies, and promoting the highest level of scientific integrity in the conduct of science.{{cite web|url=https://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=8973927&icde=30298506&ddparam=&ddvalue=&ddsub=&cr=7&csb=default&cs=ASC | title=Beyond textbook, yet simple, statistical tools for reproducible animal research}} Allison was a speaker and lead organizer for the Reproducibility of Research and Issues of Analysis at a COLLOQUIA of the National Academy of Sciences in March 2017.{{cite web|url=http://www.nasonline.org/programs/sackler-colloquia/completed_colloquia/Reproducibility_of_Research.html | title=Reproducibility of Research: Issues and Proposed Remedies}} The American Statistical Association awarded Allison the 2018 Harry V. Roberts Statistical Advocate of the Year Award for "Distinguished and longstanding contributions in sound methodology, research integrity, and clear exposition of complex statistical concepts, especially in the globally important fields of nutrition and obesity."{{cite web|url=https://www.amstat.org/ASA/Your-Career/Awards/Harry-V-Roberts-Statistical-Advocate-of-the-Year-Award.aspx | title=Harry V. Roberts Statistical Advocate of the Year Award}}

In 2008, Allison resigned as president-elect of the Obesity Society after signing an affidavit (expert report) stating that there was insufficient scientific evidence available to determine whether a proposed law to require calorie counts to be listed on restaurant menus would be effective in reducing obesity levels. The New York Times reported that Allison's affidavit "ran counter to the conventional thinking in his field" and provoked criticism from some members of the Society. In 2011, ABC News ran a story about Allison. The story quoted him as saying there was too little "solid evidence" to support a link between soft drink consumption and obesity. The article noted that "...critics say his skepticism stems from his financial ties to entities such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi and the American Beverage Association..."{{cite web | url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/big-food-money-accused-influencing-science/story?id=13845186 | title=Is 'Big Food's' Big Money Influencing the Science of Nutrition? | work=ABC News | date=21 June 2011 | access-date=4 August 2015 | author=Harris, Dan}}

Allison was featured in the 2014 documentary film Fed Up, produced and hosted by Katie Couric, which criticized him for being funded by food companies. Allison responded that "the film-makers' behavior seems counter to thoughtful dialogue,"{{cite web | url=http://reason.com/archives/2014/05/17/fed-up-with-fed-up | title=What Fed Up Gets Wrong About the Food Industry | work=Reason | date=17 May 2014 | access-date=4 August 2015 | author=Linnekin, Baylen}} and the film's producers have since been reproached and investigated for deceptive editing practices.{{cite web | url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/katie-couric-now-accused-of-deceptive-editing-for-2014s-fed-up | title=Fox News Report on Deceptive Editing|work=Fox News| date=2016-06-09}}{{cite web | url=https://www.npr.org/2016/05/26/479655743/manipulative-editing-reflects-poorly-on-couric-and-her-gun-documentary | title=NPR Reports on Manipulative Editing|work=npr.org| date=26 May 2016| last1=Folkenflik| first1=David}} Alan Levinovitz praises Allison in his book “The Gluten Lie”,{{cite web | url=http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/news_home/Consumer_Trends/2015/06/Gluten_Lie_an_enlightening_loo.aspx?ID=%7B9494E0FC-8B30-4BB1-837B-7E97DF23F164%7D&page=2&cck=1 | title='Gluten Lie' an enlightening look into confused world of nutrition|work=foodbusinessnews.net}} which discusses the harm that results from what Allison has described as “white-hat bias.”{{cite journal | title=White Hat Bias: Examples of its Presence in Obesity Research and a Call for Renewed Commitment to Faithfulness in Research Reporting | pmc=2815336 | pmid=19949416 | doi=10.1038/ijo.2009.239 | volume=34 | issue=1 | year=2010 | journal=Int J Obes (Lond) | pages=84–88; discussion 83 | author=Cope MB, Allison DB}} Arthur Firstenberg mentions Allison's discovery and then study of weight-gain among eight species of animals, and connects it to the conclusion that an unknown global environmental factor is the reason to it.{{Cite book|title=The Invisible Rainbow|last=Firstenberg|first=Arthur|year=2017|isbn=978-0-692-68301-9|pages=229|publisher=AGB Press }}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.norc.uab.edu/sites/norc.uab.edu/files/people/DAllison/DAllisonCV.pdf Full CV]

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Category:1963 births

Category:Living people

Category:American geneticists

Category:Statistical geneticists

Category:Vassar College alumni

Category:Hofstra University alumni

Category:Johns Hopkins University alumni

Category:Fellows of the American Statistical Association

Category:Columbia University fellows

Category:Obesity researchers

Category:Members of the National Academy of Medicine