Allison is a Professor in Optometry at the University of Melbourne, Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences. Her prior research experience includes appointments at the Devers Eye Institute, (Portland, Oregon) and the School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, before returning to the University of Melbourne in 2005.

Allison has been the recipient of several research fellowships (NHMRC Australian Clinical Research Fellowship; Australian Research Council Future Fellowship) and has received research project support from both  the Australian NHMRC, ARC as well as industry and philanthropic granting agencies.

She is currently the Secretary of the Imaging and Perimetric Society; a Director of Optometry Vic/SA and was Head of Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences at the University of Melbourne from 2014-Feb 2021. Her research aims to better understand normal visual processing and damage due to disease. Her laboratory has specific interests in the study of glaucoma, neurological disorder, and the process of normal aging. The applied aims include developing better clinical tests for the assessment of vision loss (in particular perimetry and ocular imaging), and improving understanding of the consequences of vision loss on performance in natural visual environments and day-to-day tasks.

Her current research uses a variety of methods including visual psychophysics, human electrophysiology and human brain and ocular imaging.