Asmare Mekonnen

Partner Institution: Ethiopian Public Health Institute

PhD Programme: Tropical and Infectious Disease

Enrolled University: Addis Ababa University

I earned both a BSc in Medical Laboratory Science and an MSc in Diagnostic and Public Health Microbiology from Addis Ababa University (AAU). I have more than 20 years of work experience in different governmental public health organizations. Previously, at the health facility level, I worked as a Medical Laboratory Technologist and Department Head at a health center and hospital, where I gained skills and experience in laboratory diagnostic services.  At the national level, I prepared and published manuals, guidelines, and strategic documents, designing effective training materials and delivering training to improve the quality of health care service by establishing a quality laboratory system and building the capacity of national and regional clinical and public health laboratories in the country.

I have engaged in research on infectious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and other parasitic pathogens, and have published in peer-reviewed journals. In my current position at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), I work in the TB research unit focused on advanced genomic analysis studies under the infectious disease research directorate. My research interests include exploring the virulence factors, determining associations between virulence markers and drug resistance mutations, assessing the epidemiological distribution of virulent DR-TB strains across the nation, as well as establishing a connection between drug resistance lineage and the WHO-recommended severity of TB disease. 

I am currently a PhD student at Addis Ababa University (Tropical and Infectious Disease specialization), titled “On molecular determinants of virulence in DR-TB strains circulating in Ethiopia” in collaboration with the EpiGen Ethiopia project.