Abraham Mengist, Ph.D., is a new faculty member at UNMC.
- Name: Abraham Mengist, Ph.D.
- Hometown: Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
- Title and department at UNMC: Assistant professor in the UNMC Department of Epidemiology at the College of Public Health
Research/professional interests:
- Epidemiology of malaria and helminth infection;
- Diagnosis of malaria and helminth infection;
- Antimalarial and antihelminthic drug efficacy;
- HPV vaccination and cervical cancer prevention; and
- Substance use and HIV disease progression.
How I fell in love with epidemiology: My interest in epidemiological research related to malaria and helminth infection resulted from my desire to help my fellow Saharan people. Malaria and helminth infections are major public health problems in most Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, including Ethiopia. As an academic, I believe that I should be part of the solution to preventable public health problems. As a native of the SSA region, I feel compelled to help my society thrive in terms of improving their overall health. I aim to achieve this by conducting epidemiological research that can change clinical practices and policies useful to control diseases.
Degrees:
- Ph.D., Public Health (Concentration: epidemiology), Florida International University, 2019
- M.Sc., biology (Concentration: biomedical sciences), Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, 2008
- B.Ed., biology, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia, 2005
Memberships:
- American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- Society for Epidemiological Research
Two things people may not know about me:
- I like to play and watch soccer.
- I enjoy playing some musical instruments, including kirar.