Dr. Ashenafi S Cherkos
Assistant Professor, Population & Community Health
Education & Experience:
I hold a PhD in Epidemiology and an MPH in Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology from the University of Washington in Seattle. I also earned an MPH from Mekelle University and a BSc in Public Health from Debub (Hawassa) University in Ethiopia. I began my career as a clinician at a health center in 2006 before transitioning to higher education in Ethiopia, where I advanced from assistant lecturer to assistant professor in the School of Public Health at Mekelle University. From 2020 – 2022, I was a clinical instructor in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health at the University of Washington.
Teaching Areas & Public Health Interests:
With 16 years of experience in public health research and practice, my focus has primarily been maternal and child health and infectious diseases epidemiology. I taught public health courses in epidemiology, biostatistics, and research methodology at Mekelle University, where I also chaired and mentored graduate theses and students’ practicum projects. In 2021 and 2022, I taught quantitative methods to first-year students in the Master of Public Health in the Community-Oriented Public Health Practice program at the University of Washington. Since 2022, I have been teaching the following courses at UNTHSC:
• EPID5300 – Principles of Epidemiology
• EPID6312 – Advanced Methods in Epidemiology II
• EPID5312 – Survey Research & Questionnaire Design
• MACH5336 – Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology
• MACH5391 – Topics in Maternal and Child Health
Professional Activities & Awards:
I am a member of the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the Society of Epidemiologic Research. I received the Junior Investigator Award from the Washington TB Research and Training Center in 2022.
Scholarly Interests:
My research focuses on populations such as pregnant women, lactating mothers, and HIV-exposed children in the U.S. and developing countries. I am especially interested in fetal origins, perinatal outcomes, maternal and infant nutrition, childhood obesity, growth and development, predictors and impact of diarrhea, maternal and child health service utilization, family planning, reproductive health, and the effects of HIV infection, ART, and TB preventive therapy on children’s long-term growth and development.
Methodology and Analysis:
I am interested in longitudinal analysis, causal inference, and the application of machine learning in public health.
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