DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY
Center for Weight and Eating Disorders

Kelly Costello Allison, Ph.D.

Kelly C. Allison, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicineand Co-Director of Education at the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders. She received her B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in 1995 and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Miami University in 1997 and 2000, respectively.

Dr. Allison's research interests include characterizing and treating the Night Eating Syndrome and the role of weight and eating behaviors on reproductive health.  She is currently leading an NIH-funded study on the predictors associated with excess weight gain during pregnancy and postpartum weight retention and is co-investigator of a study examining the impact of weight loss through bariatric surgery as compared to behavioral weight loss on fertility. Dr. Allison co-leads didactic seminars for pre-doctoral psychology practicum students and supervises their clinical work.  She also serves as a faculty mentor for undergraduate and medical student research projects.  Dr. Allison also enjoys providing cognitive behavioral therapy services related to weight loss and disordered eating.

Dr. Allison can be contacted at: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 3535 Market St., Suite 3021, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3309, 215-898-7314. Her e-mail address is kca@mail.med.upenn.edu.

Recent publications include:

Allison KC, Lundgren JD, O’Reardon JP, Martino NS, Sarwer DB, Wadden TA, Crosby RD, Engel SG, Stunkard AJ.  The Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ):  psychometric properties of a measure of severity of the night eating syndrome.  Eating Behaviors, 2008; 9:62-72.

Allison KC, Grilo CM, Masheb RM, Stunkard AJ.  High self-reported rates of neglect and emotional abuse by persons with Binge Eating Disorder and Night Eating Syndrome. Behaviour Research and Therapy 2007; 45: 2874-2883.

Allison KC, Crow SJ, Reeves RR, West DS, Foreyt JP, DiLillo VG, Wadden TA, Jeffery RW, Van Dorsten B, Stunkard AJ and the Eating Disorders Subgroup of the Look AHEAD Research Group. The prevalence of binge eating disorder and night eating syndrome in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.  Obesity, 2007;15:1285-1291.

Sarwer DB, Allison KC, Gibbons LM, Markowitz JT, Nelson DB. Pregnancy and obesity: a review and agenda for future research. Journal of Women’s Health, 2006;15:720-733.

Allison KC, Stunkard A J, Thier S L. Overcoming Night Eating Syndrome: A Step-by-Step Guide to Breaking the Cycle. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger, 2004.