Senior epidemiologist with more than 18 years of experience in healthcare practice, teaching, and epidemiological research. Computationally oriented with strong R and Python programming skills and proven experience in epidemiological and machine learning research methods applied to diabetes, cancer, and infectious diseases. Experienced in observational methods, systematic reviews and meta-analysis, and computational epidemiology such as NLP methods and applications of machine learning in evidence syntheses, disease risk profiling, and health care prognosis prediction. A strong advocate of data visualization, published about 50 peer-reviewed articles and served as an associate editor or peer-reviewer for over 30 international medical journals. Peer-reviewed clinical study protocols in GLG and SciPinion. H-Index = 20, I10-Index = 2.
Work Experience
Senior Epidemiologist
German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
Mar 2024 - Present
Investigate the impact of familial, disease exposure, medication history and other exposures in the risk of colorectal cancer using the Swedish nation-wide registers.
Develop risk-adapted colorectal cancer screening recommendations.
Postdoc - Epidemiologist
German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
Mar 2020 - Apr 2024
Investigated biological links between obesity and breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers.
Synthesized evidence from diverse study designs, including prospective cohorts and Mendelian randomization.
Data visualization and using traditional epidemiological methods alongside modern machine learning for evidence synthesis.
Doctoral Research Fellow
Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS GmbH, Bremen, Germany
Apr 2016 - Mar 2019
Research in Diabetes and Digital Health
Data analysis
Publication in international and peer-reviewed journals
Lecturer and Head of the Department of Health Informatics
University of Gondar, Ethiopia
Sep 2012 - Mar 2016
Head of department, teaching, research, and community service.
Public Health Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Officer
Amhara Regional Health Bureau, Bahirdar City Administration Health Office, Ethiopia
Jun 2012 - Sep 2012
Preparing annual strategic health plan for city administration health office
Coordinating health centers in the district to plan their five-year strategic and annual health plans
Monitoring progress on planned health center achievements
Evaluation of health centers in the district and providing feedback
Medical Laboratory Technologist and Head of Laboratory Department
Amhara Regional Health Bureau (Abay Health Center), Bahirdar, Ethiopia
Sep 2006 - May 2012
Collecting biological specimens and performing different laboratory diagnostic tests
Performing laboratory tests including HIV testing, CD4 counts, complete blood cell counts, and other haematological parameters, and clinical chemistry
Education
Ph.D. in Public Health
University of Bremen, Germany
2019
Dissertation: Augmenting Diabetes Care and Self-management: What Can Digital Health Offer?
Advanced Diploma in Health Care and Management in Tropical Countries
University of Basel, Switzerland
2015
Grade: 82.5/100
MPH in Health Informatics
University of Gondar, Ethiopia
2012
Thesis: Predictors of CD4 Count Change Among Patients Antiretroviral Treatment: Application of Machine Learning Methods.
Grade: 3.91/4.0 (Highest Grade from University of Gondar MPH, 2012 cohort)
BSc in Medical Laboratory Technology
Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
2006
Thesis: Trend of Leprosy in Ethiopia
Grade: 3.32/4.0
Causal Inference in Epidemiology, University of Essen, Germany
Machine Learning (A-Z), Udemy online course
R Programming: Advanced Analytics In R For Data Science, Online
R Programming A-Z™: R For Data Science With Real Exercises, Online
Data science, statistical methods and machine learning in R, University of Bremen
Reproducible Templates for Analysis and Dissemination, Online
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, University of Essen, Germany
Mathematical Modeling and Data Analysis, Oberwolfach Research Institute for Mathematics (MFO), Germany
Principles of STD/HIV Research Course, University of Washington, Online
Leadership and Management, University of Washington, Online
Advanced Biostatistics by the Ohio State University, Gondar, Ethiopia
Membership in Professional Societies
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie (GMDS)
European Association of Studies in Diabetes (EASD)
Ethiopian Public Health Association (EPHA)
Ethiopian Medical Laboratory Technologists Association
References
Awards
Highest Grade from University of Gondar MPH, 2012 cohort
Publons 2018 top 1% peer reviewer
Teaching Experience
Evidence-based Medicine, Advanced Epidemiology, Epidemiological methods, Research methods, Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis, Data entry with EPI Info, Statistical analysis with R, SPSS, STATA, EndNote/Mendeley/Zotero reference management systems.
Conferences (Oral and Poster Presentations)
55th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 16-20 September 2019 in Barcelona, Spain
14th German Association of Epidemiologists (DGEPI) Annual Conference, Ulm, Germany, October 2018
13th German Association of Epidemiologists (DGEPI) Annual Conference, Bremen, Germany, October 2018
10th Biennial Joanna Briggs Institute Colloquium, Antwerp, Belgium, May 2018
78th American Diabetes Association conference, Orlando, USA, June 2018
[See additional conferences in the original document for more details]
Extra-Curricular Activities
Voluntary work in different projects supporting schools and health centers in Northwest Ethiopia
Prison health service in Ethiopia
Blog data analyses and visualization on personal website and Medium page
YouTube Tutorials on Machine learning, Meta-analysis, and other statistical and epidemiological topics
Soft Skills
Quick learner
Communication
Supervision
Attention to details
Publications
Kebede, M.M., Cornet, C.L., Fortner, R.T. (2023). In‐depth evaluation of machine learning methods for semi‐automating article screening in a systematic review of mechanistic literature. Research Synthesis Methods. 14(2): 156-172. PMID: 36583759.
Nicholas Kofi Adjei, Mihiretu Kebede, Florence Samkange-Zeeb, Daniel Boakye, Maham Saleem2, Lara Christianson, Thomas L. Heise, Tilman Brand, Oluwaseun Esan, David C Taylor-Robinson, Charles Agyemang, Hajo Zeeb, Racial-ethnic differences in Metabolic Syndrome in high-income countries: a systematic review and meta- analysis, Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders, April 10, 2024, 10.1007/s11154-024-09879-9.
Sagaro, G.G., Angeloni, U., Battineni, G., Kebede, M.M., et al. (2023). Risk prediction model of self-reported hypertension for telemedicine based on the sociodemographic, occupational and health-related characteristics of seafarers: a cross-sectional epidemiological study. BMJ Open. 13:e070146. PMID: 36912656.
Mekonnen, D., Kebede, M.M., et al. (2023). Comparative serum lipid and immunohematological values among adult pulmonary tuberculosis and tuberculosis lymphadenitis cases and their association with sputum bacilli load and time to culture positivity in Northwestern Ethiopia. Lipids in Health and Disease. 22(1): 56. PMID: 37157994.
Ngusie, H.S., Kebede, M.M., Ahmed, M.H., Mengiste, S.A., et al. (2023). The effect of capacity building evidence-based medicine training on its implementation among healthcare professionals in Southwest Ethiopia: a controlled quasi-experimental outcome evaluation. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 23, 172. PMID: 37693421.