Open to opportunities

Desalegn Ararso

@desalegnararso

I am a public health researcher specializing in disease burden, health economics, health equity, and evidence synthesis.

Ethiopia

Message

What I'm looking for

I seek leadership research roles applying disease burden analysis, health economics and evidence synthesis to inform policy, build HTA capacity, and use AI to improve health equity in collaborative, impact-driven teams.

I lead the Burden of Diseases and Health Economics Division at the Health System Research Directorate of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, focusing on disease burden, health economics, health equity, health care financing and the application of AI in health research.

I have served as a public health researcher in the Knowledge Translation Directorate concentrating on evidence synthesis and producing policy briefs, rapid reviews, scoping reviews and systematic reviews. I am proficient in systematic data collection through PubMed, EMBASE and SCOPUS and skilled in data screening, extraction, appraisal, synthesis and report writing.

I am a PhD fellow in Tropical & Infectious Diseases and hold an MPH, with a sustained publication record and targeted trainings in HTA and decision modelling. I seek to translate evidence into policy, strengthen HTA capacity and apply rigorous methods to inform health system decisions.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Head, Burden of Disease & Health Econ

Current

Ethiopian Public Health Institute

Jan 2025 - Present (7 months)

Leads the Burden of Diseases and Health Economics Division, directing disease burden analyses, health economics and financing workstreams, and integrating AI methods to strengthen health research and policy analysis.

Health Economics Health Technology Assessment Epidemiology Policy Analysis

Case Team Lead, Knowledge Translation

Ethiopian Public Health Institute

Jan 2016 - Jan 2019 (3 years)

Led a case team in the Knowledge Translation Directorate producing evidence syntheses, policy briefs, rapid and systematic reviews to inform health policy and decision-making.

Rapid Review PubMed Scopus

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Akililu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University

Doctor of Philosophy, Tropical & Infectious Diseases

2021 -

PhD fellow in Tropical & Infectious Diseases at the Akililu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University (2021–2025), conducting research in tropical and infectious disease.