Dana Allison

Executive Director, Women's World Health Initiative

Dana Allison, founder and executive director of WWHI, has been a champion of social justice since childhood. A native of Alberta, Canada, Dana has long believed that the strength of a country’s women determines the strength of a nation.

After graduating from the University of Chicago with a double bachelor’s degree in political science and public policy, Dana researched the mental health of HIV-infected refugee women. Her research took her to Ethiopia where she witnessed medicine in the developing world. Her interest in medicine grew and in 2006 she began medical school at the University of Utah. During her studies, she interned with the UN Refugee Agency in Mae La, Thailand, and participated in and research obstetrical and infant care. Because of her experiences in the developing world, Dana founded Women’s World Health Initiative in 2008 to help empower vulnerable communities, particularly mothers and their infants, by providing access to sustainable healthcare.

Dana owes her life to her own mother, father, and supportive siblings.