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.

Positions

• 2018: Research Officer, Burnet Institute, Melbourne Australia
• 2016-2017: Research assistant, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
• 2006- 20012: Research Associate, The Carter Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• 2000- 2005: Instructor, JiJiga Health Science College, Ethiopia
• 1993-1998: Laboratory technologist, Gode Hospital, Ethiopia

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)

Projects (2)

Current (2)

• Access to affordable and accurate HIV-1 VL testing
  Laboratory evaluation of a novel filter paper-based method of plasma separation for viral load testing.
• Plasma separator device for HIV viral load testing
  Aimed at improving access to HIV viral load assays in resource-limited settings.

Publications (25)

2019 (1)

• Performance of a novel low-cost, instrument-free plasma separation device for HIV viral load quantification and determination of treatment failure in people living with HIV in Malaysia: a diagnostic accuracy study.
  Pham MD, Haile BA, Azwa I, Kamarulzaman A, Raman N, Saeidi A, Bador MK, Tan M, Zhu J, Yi F, Elliott JH, Garcia ML, Li F, Crowe SM, Luchters S, Anderson DA
  J Clin Microbiol. 2019 Jan; 57(4):e01683-18

2013 (1)

• The association between latrine use and trachoma: a secondary cohort analysis from a randomized clinical trial.
  Meron Haile, Zerihun Tadesse, Sintayehu Gebreselassie, Berhan Ayele, Teshome Gebre, Sun N Yu, Nicole E Stoller, Bruce D Gaynor, Travis C Porco, Paul M Emerson, Thomas M Lietman, Jeremy D Keenan
  Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2013 Oct; 89(4):717-720

2012 (6)

• Performance of local light microscopy and the ParaScreen Pan/Pf rapid diagnostic test to detect malaria in health centers in Northwest Ethiopia.
  Tekola Endeshaw, Patricia M Graves, Berhan Ayele, Aryc W Mosher, Teshome Gebre, Firew Ayalew, Asrat Genet, Alemayehu Mesfin, Estifanos Biru Shargie, Zerihun Tadesse, Tesfaye Teferi, Berhanu Melak, Frank O Richards, Paul M Emerson
  PLoS One. 2012 Apr; 7(4):e33014
• Chlamydial infection during trachoma monitoring: are the most difficult-to-reach children more likely to be infected?
  Jeremy D Keenan, J Moncada, T Gebre, B Ayele, M C Chen, S N Yu, P M Emerson, N E Stoller, C E McCulloch, B D Gaynor, J Schachter
  Trop Med Int Health. 2012 Mar; 17(3):392-396
• Diagnostic characteristics of tests for ocular Chlamydia after mass azithromycin distributions.
  Jeremy D Keenan, Craig W See, Jeanne Moncada, Berhan Ayele, Teshome Gebre, Nicole E Stoller, Charles E McCulloch, Travis C Porco, Bruce D Gaynor, Paul M Emerson, Julius Schachter, Thomas M Lietman
  Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012 Jan; 53(1):235-240
• Reliability of measurements performed by community-drawn anthropometrists from rural Ethiopia.
  Berhan Ayele, Abaineh Aemere, Teshome Gebre, Zerihun Tadesse, Nicole E Stoller, Craig W See, Sun N Yu, Bruce D Gaynor, Charles E McCulloch, Travis C Porco, Paul M Emerson, Thomas M Lietman, Jeremy D Keenan
  PLoS One. 2012 Jan; 7(1):e30345
• Ribosomal RNA evidence of ocular Chlamydia trachomatis infection following 3 annual mass azithromycin distributions in communities with highly prevalent trachoma.
  Jeremy D Keenan, Berhan Ayele, Teshome Gebre, Jeanne Moncada, Nicole E Stoller, Zhaoxia Zhou, Travis C Porco, Charles E McCulloch, Bruce D Gaynor, Paul M Emerson, Julius Schachter, Thomas M Lietman
  Clin Infect Dis. 2012 Jan; 54(2):253-256
• Comparison of annual versus twice-yearly mass azithromycin treatment for hyperendemic trachoma in Ethiopia: a cluster-randomised trial.
  Teshome Gebre, Berhan Ayele, Mulat Zerihun, Asrat Genet, Nicole E Stoller, Zhaoxia Zhou, Jenafir I House, Sun N Yu, Kathryn J Ray, Paul M Emerson, Jeremy D Keenan, Travis C Porco, Thomas M Lietman, Bruce D Gaynor
  Lancet. 2012 Jan; 379(9811):143-151

2011 (7)

• Association of community antibiotic consumption with clinically active trachoma in rural Ethiopia.
  Berhan Ayele, Tesfaye Belay, Teshome Gebre, Mulat Zerihun, Abayneh Amere, Yared Assefa, Dereje Habte, Allison R Loh, Nicole E Stoller, Jeremy D Keenan
  Int Health. 2011 Dec; 3(4):282-288
• Risk factors for ocular chlamydia after three mass azithromycin distributions.
  Berhan Ayele, Teshome Gebre, Jeanne Moncada, Jenafir I House, Nicole E Stoller, Zhaoxia Zhou, Travis C Porco, Bruce D Gaynor, Paul M Emerson, Julius Schachter, Jeremy D Keenan
  PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2011 Dec; 5(12):e1441
• Latrine promotion for trachoma: assessment of mortality from a cluster-randomized trial in Ethiopia.
  Teshome Gebre, Berhan Ayele, Mulat Zerihun, Jenafir I House, Nicole E Stoller, Zhaoxia Zhou, Kathryn J Ray, Bruce D Gaynor, Travis C Porco, Paul M Emerson, Thomas M Lietman, Jeremy D Keenan
  Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2011 Sep; 85(3):518-523
• Adverse events after mass azithromycin treatments for trachoma in Ethiopia.
  Berhan Ayele, Teshome Gebre, Jenafir I House, Zhaoxia Zhou, Charles E McCulloch, Travis C Porco, Bruce D Gaynor, Paul M Emerson, Thomas M Lietman, Jeremy D Keenan
  Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2011 Aug; 85(2):291-294
• The epidemiological dynamics of infectious trachoma may facilitate elimination.
  Thomas M Lietman, Teshome Gebre, Berhan Ayele, Kathryn J Ray, M Cyrus Maher, Craig W See, Paul M Emerson, Travis C Porco
  Epidemics. 2011 Jun; 3(2):119-124
• Childhood mortality in a cohort treated with mass azithromycin for trachoma.
  Jeremy D Keenan, Berhan Ayele, Teshome Gebre, Mulat Zerihun, Zhaoxia Zhou, Jenafir I House, Bruce D Gaynor, Travis C Porco, Paul M Emerson, Thomas M Lietman
  Clin Infect Dis. 2011 Apr; 52(7):883-888
• Efficacy of latrine promotion on reinfection with ocular chlamydia after mass antibiotic treatment: a cluster- randomized trial.
  Stoller NE, Gebre T, Ayele B, Zerihun M, Assefa Y, Habte D, Zhou Z, Porco TC, Keenan JD, House JI, Gaynor B, Lietman TM, Emerson PM.
  International Health. 2011 Jan; 3:75 -84.

2010 (4)

• Antibiotic selection pressure and macrolide resistance in nasopharyngeal Streptococcus pneumoniae: a cluster-randomized clinical trial.
  Alison H Skalet, Vicky Cevallos, Berhan Ayele, Teshome Gebre, Zhaoxia Zhou, James H Jorgensen, Mulat Zerihun, Dereje Habte, Yared Assefa, Paul M Emerson, Bruce D Gaynor, Travis C Porco, Thomas M Lietman, Jeremy D Keenan
  PLoS Med. 2010 Dec; 7(12):e1000377
• Comparison of Parascreen Pan/Pf, Paracheck Pf and light microscopy for detection of malaria among febrile patients, Northwest Ethiopia.
  Tekola Endeshaw, Patricia M Graves, Estifanos Biru Shargie, Teshome Gebre, Berhan Ayele, Gideon Yohannes, Mulat Zerihun, Asrat Genet, Berhanu Melak, Amha Kebede, Daddi Jima, Zerihun Tadesse, Jeremiah Ngondi, Aryc W Mosher, Frank O Richards, Paul M Emerson
  Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2010 Jul; 104(7):467-474
• Effect of a community intervention with pit latrines in five districts of Amhara, Ethiopia.
  Jeremiah Ngondi, Tesfaye Teferi, Teshome Gebre, Estifanos B Shargie, Mulat Zerihun, Berhan Ayele, Liknaw Adamu, Jonathan D King, Elizabeth A Cromwell, Paul M Emerson
  Trop Med Int Health. 2010 May; 15(5):592-599
• Estimation of effects of community intervention with antibiotics, facial cleanliness, and environmental improvement (A,F,E) in five districts of Ethiopia hyperendemic for trachoma.
  Jeremiah Ngondi, Teshome Gebre, Estifanos B Shargie, Liknaw Adamu, Tesfaye Teferi, Mulat Zerihun, Berhan Ayele, Jonathan D King, Elizabeth A Cromwell, Paul M Emerson
  Br J Ophthalmol. 2010 Mar; 94(3):278-281

2009 (4)

• Individual, household and environmental risk factors for malaria infection in Amhara, Oromia and SNNP regions of Ethiopia.
  Patricia M Graves, Frank O Richards, Jeremiah Ngondi, Paul M Emerson, Estifanos Biru Shargie, Tekola Endeshaw, Pietro Ceccato, Yeshewamebrat Ejigsemahu, Aryc W Mosher, Afework Hailemariam, Mulat Zerihun, Tesfaye Teferi, Berhan Ayele, Ayenew Mesele, Gideon Yohannes, Abate Tilahun, Teshome Gebre
  Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2009 Dec; 103(12):1211-1220
• Evaluation of three years of the SAFE strategy (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness and Environmental improvement) for trachoma control in five districts of Ethiopia hyperendemic for trachoma.
  Jeremiah Ngondi, Teshome Gebre, Estifanos B Shargie, Liknaw Adamu, Yeshewamebrat Ejigsemahu, Tesfaye Teferi, Mulat Zerihun, Berhan Ayele, Vicky Cevallos, Jonathan King, Paul M Emerson
  Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2009 Oct; 103(10):1001-1010
• Effect of mass distribution of azithromycin for trachoma control on overall mortality in Ethiopian children: a randomized trial.
  Travis C Porco, Teshome Gebre, Berhan Ayele, Jenafir House, Jeremy Keenan, Zhaoxia Zhou, Kevin Cyrus Hong, Nicole Stoller, Kathryn J Ray, Paul Emerson, Bruce D Gaynor, Thomas M Lietman
  JAMA. 2009 Sep; 302(9):962-968
• Assessment of herd protection against trachoma due to repeated mass antibiotic distributions: a cluster-randomised trial.
  Jenafir I House, Berhan Ayele, Travis C Porco, Zhaoxia Zhou, Kevin C Hong, Teshome Gebre, Kathryn J Ray, Jeremy D Keenan, Nicole E Stoller, John P Whitcher, Bruce D Gaynor, Paul M Emerson, Thomas M Lietman
  Lancet. 2009 Mar; 373(9669):1111-1118

2008 (2)

• Evaluation of light microscopy and rapid diagnostic test for the detection of malaria under operational field conditions: a household survey in Ethiopia.
  Tekola Endeshaw, Teshome Gebre, Jeremiah Ngondi, Patricia M Graves, Estifanos B Shargie, Yeshewamebrat Ejigsemahu, Berhan Ayele, Gedeon Yohannes, Tesfaye Teferi, Ayenew Messele, Mulat Zerihun, Asrat Genet, Aryc W Mosher, Paul M Emerson, Frank O Richards
  Malar J. 2008 Jul; 7:118
• Evaluation of circulating cathodic antigen (CCA) strip for diagnosis of urinary schistosomiasis in Hassoba school children, Afar, Ethiopia.
  B Ayele, B Erko, M Legesse, A Hailu, G Medhin
  Parasite. 2008 Mar; 15(1):69-75