Background

Berhan was trained as laboratory scientist and in tropical and infectious diseases.

He received his PhD in 2017 from Monash University. Before commencing his PhD study at Monash/Burnet, Berhan worked in Ethiopia as laboratory technologist at different health care institutes under Ethiopian Ministry of Health, and as a research associate at The Carter Center-Ethiopia. Berhan's research focused on expanding access to simple and affordable diagnostics, especially rapid and point-of-care diagnostics for infectious diseases in resource-limited settings.

Berhan also worked as study coordinator for two randomised clinical trials for elimination of ocular trachoma conducted in Ethiopia by University of California-San Francisco in collaboration with The Carter Center and Ethiopian Ministry of Health.

Berhan's areas of research interest include development of simple and affordable diagnostic technologies, validation and implementation of diagnostic technologies, elimination/eradication of infectious and neglected tropical diseases, clinical trial studies for (vaccines, treatment and diagnostics) efficiencies.

Qualifications

• 2017: PhD, Monash University, Australia
• 2006: MSc, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
• 2000: BSc, Jimma University, Ethiopia; 1993: Dip, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

Awards

• 2015: ViiV Young Investigator Awards: Best student poster presentation award at HIV symposium, Peter Doherty Institute, Melbourne, Australia (Dec 2015)
• 2012: Monash Graduate Scholarship (MGS)
• 2012: Monash International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (MIPRS)

Positions

• 2018: Research Officer, Burnet Institute, Melbourne Australia
• 2016-2017: Research assistant, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
• 2006- 2012: Research Associate, The Carter Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• 2000- 2005: Instructor, JiJiga Health Science College, Ethiopia
• 1993-1998: Laboratory technologist, Gode Hospital, Ethiopia; a; b