Allison has authored over 60 scientific publications, with a current research focus on understanding how the immune system influences bone health and healing, the immune-bone-cancer interplay in bone metastasis and how to accelerate bone marrow recovery post-bone marrow transplantation. Allison has worked in the complementary fields of immunology, rheumatology, haematology, cancer biology and bone biology for over 15 years, and as a lead investigator has received more than $3 million in competitive funding.
Allison’s research group coined, and continues to characterise osteal macrophages (osteomacs) including discovery of the paradigm shift recognising that macrophages participate in bone dynamics through promoting anabolic outcomes. Since Allison’s lab first landmark publication in this area in 2008 they have published 10 related studies cementing the role of osteomacs in bone biology, pathology and repair. Her lab is undertaking pre-clinical development of therapies that can improve fracture healing outcomes with a goal to reduce morbidity and costs associated with osteoporosis. In collaboration with other Mater researchers, Allison’s team made integral contributions to the discovery that macrophages play a vital role in blood stem cell niches in the bone marrow. Her lab continues to uncover the functional and molecular contributions of macrophages to these niches, particularly to their recovery post-bone marrow transplantation; her team is also extending the osteomac discovery to develop new therapeutic strategies in cancer metastasis to bone.
Allison frequently performs manuscript reviews for high quality journals and has served as an external assessor for National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in numerous schemes as well on review panels for NHMRC project grants (2009), early career fellowships (2014) and career development fellowships (2016). Allison is a past Chair of the Australian and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society (ANZBMS) Research Subcommittee and now serves on the ANZBMS Council. Allison sits on numerous management and professional development committees, leads the Gender Equity Working Group for Mater Research, and serves on the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research’s Women in Bone and Mineral Research Committee.
‘I undertook a career in medical research because I was fascinated with human biology, physiology and pathology, and thought that research was a way to have impact on improving health outcomes and quality of life.’