Professional Summary

Hagos Degefa Hidru is an epidemiologist and public health researcher currently working at the Tigray Health Research Institute (THRI) in Ethiopia. He holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from Haramaya University and has a strong background in quantitative and qualitative research, data analysis, and public health emergency management. His work focuses on the health impacts of conflict, infectious diseases, maternal and child health, and nutritional status in post-war settings.

Education and Specialization:

• Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology: Haramaya University, Ethiopia (2018).
• Bachelor of Science in Public Health: Hawassa University, Ethiopia (2013).

Current and Previous Positions:

• Researcher, Tigray Health Research Institute (June 2024 – present): Conducts research on public health priorities, with a focus on post-war health assessments.
• Lecturer & Head, Department of Public Health, Adigrat University (May 2021 – June 2024): Led the department, taught courses, and supervised student research.
• Lecturer and Researcher, Adigrat University (Dec 2018 – May 2021): Engaged in teaching, research, and community service.
• Health Care Service Provider, Primary Health Care Unit, Somali Region (Dec 2013 – July 2017): Provided clinical and public health services in a district-level health facility.

Research Expertise and Grants:
He has extensive experience in managing and implementing research projects, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods. He has been awarded multiple grants as a Principal Investigator (PI), focusing on post-war health impacts:

• PI: Targeted Poverty Alleviation in Tigray (2025) using advanced spatial and Bayesian methods.
• PI: Multisectoral assessment of Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (HVOD) in Tigray (2024-2025).
• PI: Performance evaluation of health promotion and disease prevention in primary care (2023-2024).
• PI: Comprehensive study on the catastrophic impacts of the Tigray war on the health workforce (2023-2024).
• PI: Preparedness and response of high-risk groups to COVID-19 (2020).

Publications:
He has a prolific publication record, with numerous articles in high-impact international journals, including Nature, The Lancet, PLOS One, and Scientific Reports. His work covers a wide range of topics, including the health consequences of the Tigray war (vicarious trauma, wasting in children, nutritional status), infectious diseases (HIV, TB, lymphatic filariasis), maternal and child health, and global burden of disease studies.

Skills and Trainings:

• Proficient in advanced statistical software (R, STATA, SPSS), data visualization (Power BI), and GIS (QGIS).
• He has received extensive training in public health emergency management, disease surveillance (including CEBS and vaccine-preventable diseases), and data analysis tools.
• He served as a Rapid Response Team (RRT) member for COVID-19 and participated in community-based surveillance and awareness activities.

Professional Memberships and Volunteer Activities:
He has been actively involved in community engagement and volunteer activities, including training on Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) prevention and control, and house-to-house COVID-19 surveillance.