Biography
Allison Kelliher, MD, is Koyukon Athabascan, Dena, from Nome, Alaska. She is the first and only physician trained as a Traditional Healer in a Tribal Health setting and weaves this into her practice and research as a Family and Integrative Physician. She is a Research Associate co-appointed to the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Indigenous Health where she enjoys working with learners in order to better address health disparities and overall wellness. She is the founder and former director of the American Indian Collaborative Research Network (AICoRN), a Practice-Based Research Network at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences where she is also Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Indigenous Health. She is also adjunct faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the University of Alaska Anchorage and serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of American Indian Physicians.
Allison has a background in biomedical research and neuroscience, with special interests in behavioral health and health equity as well as curriculum development and integration of Global Healing Traditions into practice and education. She serves on committees for the American Heart Association and is working toward decolonizing and indigenizing curriculum to include healing and health in medical curricula. She continues in advocacy for environmental justice with the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and advocates for inclusivity of American Indian and Alaska Native healing practices in healthcare settings. She continues research toward addressing Behavioral Health needs in the Great Plains and she was honored as the University of Alaska Fairbanks Alumnus of the year 2022 and recently published a chapter in the textbook Walking Together, Working Together: Engaging Wisdom for Indigenous Well-Being.