Betselot Zerihun

Partner Institution: Ethiopian Public Health Institute

PhD Programme: Bioinformatics

Enrolled University: Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf

Betselot Zerihun Ayano is a Junior Bioinformatician and Medical Microbiologist at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI). He began his career at EPHI in 2018 after graduating with high honors in Medical Laboratory Science from Addis Ababa University. As one of the top graduates, he was selected to join the National TB Laboratory at EPHI.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Betselot was among the first to perform manual laboratory procedures in the newly established SARS-CoV-2 lab and played a key role in setting up similar labs across various regions. He later earned a Master of Science in Medical Microbiology and a second Master's in Bioinformatics, both from Addis Ababa University.

In his current role, Betselot is focused on advancing genomic analysis research capabilities at EPHI and is actively involved in building a robust bioinformatics facility at the institute. His research interests include exploring the evolution, resistance mechanisms, gene expression, protein interactions, and transmission patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Non-tuberculosis mycobacterium species, as well as understanding how environmental factors influence their spread and evolution. Ultimately, he aims to develop novel bioinformatics approaches to identify drug resistance-associated genes, including those in previously unexplored coding and non-coding regions of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Betselot is currently pursuing a PhD in Bioinformatics at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf (HHUD), Germany, as part of the EPIGEN project in Ethiopia.