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Trained in both internal medicine and geriatrics, Dr. Sharon Allison-Ottey is a champion for improved access to care for the elderly and for persons of color, with a focus on health policy and action. She is chief executive officer at COSHAR Inc., which has an established a network of community-based research sites that provide health insights beyond data collected through traditional academic research. She also is a founder and the director of health and community initiatives at the COSHAR Foundation and founder of COSHAR Health, which focuses on helping patients be their own health advocates within their communities.
An alumna of North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina, Dr. Allison-Ottey received her M.D. from East Carolina University School of Medicine in Greenville, North Carolina. Named the American Geriatric Society's 1999 Investigator of the Year for her pioneering work in AIDS in the elderly, Dr. Allison-Ottey is one of the first in the world to publish on this topic. She served as scientific consultant in Neurobehavioral Toxicology to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Her collaborations include research with Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute and the Gallup Organization. Her current focus includes health literacy, patient/provider communication, the role of spirituality in medical outcomes, and direct-to-consumer marketing's effect on physicians and patients.
Dr. Allison-Ottey served as the youngest elected trustee of the National Medical Association (NMA), the oldest and largest association of African American physicians. She also was the youngest person to receive the NMA's highest award -- its Scroll of Merit -- in 2002. A member of the American Medical Association and numerous other organizations, she was the first female to be awarded the title Chairman Emeritus of the Student National Medical Association.
An avid writer, Dr. Allison-Ottey recently completed her first novel, All I Ever Did Was Love a Man, which is scheduled for release in late 2005/early 2006. She is married to Dr. Colin C. Ottey and resides in Maryland.
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