David Allison, Ph.D., a professor of biostatistics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Public Health, has won the 2009 TOPS Research Achievement Award from the Obesity Society.

   July 27, 2009

David Allison. Download image.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - David Allison, Ph.D., a professor of biostatistics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Public Health, has won the 2009 TOPS Research Achievement Award from the Obesity Society.

The award will be presented during Obesity 2009, the society's annual scientific meeting, Oct. 24-28, in Washington, D.C. The honor comes with a $5,000 prize.

Allison also will deliver the TOPS Research Achievement Award Lecture on Oct. 26. His lecture on the promise and challenge of obesity research titled "Experiments with Truth" borrows from Mohandas Gandhi's autobiography, he said.

Allison directs the Section on Statistical Genetics within the UAB Department of Biostatistics and the UAB Clinical Nutrition Research Center, and he is renowned for obesity research in quantitative genetics, clinical trials and research methodology.

Allison joined the UAB faculty in 2001. His awards include the Lilly Scientific Achievement Award from the North American Association for the Study of Obesity and the Andre Mayer Award from the International Association for the Study of Obesity. In 2007 he received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from the National Science Foundation.

About the UAB School of Public Health

The UAB School of Public Health is a community of scholars and professionals working and teaching in the different arenas of public health, all with the goal of fostering research and best practices crucial to the health of our nation. The school offers more than 20 areas of study and manages dozens of research and community-service centers.

About the Obesity Society

The Obesity Society is the leading scientific organization dedicated to the study of obesity. Since 1982, the Obesity Society has been committed to encouraging research on the causes and treatment of obesity, and to keeping the medical community and public informed of new advances. The Obesity Society's vision is to be the leader in understanding, preventing and treating obesity and improving the lives of those affected. The Obesity Society's membership comprises more than 2,000 basic and clinical researchers, who have published extensively, and care providers in obesity treatment and prevention.