Dr. Lacko currently serves as an Adjunct Instructor at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC Chapel Hill. Her primary work is as a Research Scientist at the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), a national anti-hunger non-profit. In this role, she provides expertise on research projects, including research design, analysis, and applying an equity lens throughout the research process. She currently leads the research arm of several FRAC projects, including a $2 million USDA grant to improve equity in the Child Nutrition programs and is FRAC’s research lead on the WIC Community Innovation and Outreach Grant. In addition, Allison provides general research and analysis that support FRAC’s advocacy to address the root causes of hunger and strengthen the federal nutrition programs.

Prior to FRAC, Dr. Lacko received her Ph.D. in Nutrition Epidemiology from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC Chapel Hill, where she was a member of the Global Food Research Program, a Predoctoral Fellow at the Carolina Population Center, and a Royster Fellow. She has also served as a Community Economic Development facilitator with the Peace Corps (Costa Rica 2012-2014). She received her B.A. in Economics-Political Science from Columbia University. In her free time, she loves to cook and find her rumba on the salsa floor.

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