From SCOPE Fellow to Global Health Leader:
Kefyalew Alene, PhD, MPH, BSc

SCOPE Fellowships provide a rich opportunity for graduate students in health-related fields at the University of Washington (UW) and the University of Gondar (UofG) to gain practical experience in global health research and leadership. In this issue, we highlight 2014 SCOPE Fellow (UoG), Kefyalew Alene.

As a SCOPE Fellow, Kefyalew prepared training materials and proposals about HIV/AIDS and behavioral change communication. He also led and facilitated a six-day training session about HIV/AIDS for 25 priests from the North Gondar Diocese.  As a key liaison between UoG, the North Gondar Diocese, and the Seattle-based SCOPE team, he was pivotal in advancing communication and collaboration among the partners.  He and Dr. Getahun (SCOPE Principal Investigator at UoG) engaged in discussions to clarify SCOPE's mission to strengthen the partnership.

 Kefyalew shared that his experience as a SCOPE fellow, especially his role as a liaison, was instrumental in preparing him for his current role, “it provided me with the invaluable opportunity to work closely with the community, as well as with international researchers and organizational leaders. This exposure has had a lasting impact on my professional development, and I continue to draw upon the unique experiences and insights I gained during that time.”

Following his fellowship, Kefyalew went on to complete a PhD at the Australian National University where he researched the spatial epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) in high TB burden countries, including Ethiopia and China.  He is currently a Senior Research Fellow at Curtin University in Australia and an Emerging Leadership Fellow of the Australia National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).  In addition, he is the  Head of the Geospatial and Tuberculosis Team at Telethon Kids Institute. He has served as a visiting research fellow at both Harvard Medical School and the Australian National University.

We asked Kefyalew about how he thought SCOPE fellowships could uniquely prepare tomorrow’s leaders for global health.  He shared, “Firstly, it offers hands-on experience working directly with diverse communities, adopting a deep understanding of the social and cultural determinants of health.  Additionally, the fellowship facilitates collaboration with international researchers and organizational leaders, providing fellows with a global perspective and the opportunity to develop essential skills in cross-cultural communication and project management.  By immersing fellows in real-world challenges and innovative problem-solving, SCOPE cultivates leadership qualities, resilience, and a commitment to equity that are crucial for advancing global health initiatives.”

Kefyalew is a remarkable global health leader.  His scientific contributions to global and national TB control programs have influenced international health policy, knowledge, and agenda-setting. His collaborative research with partners around the world, including Ethiopia, the Philippines, China, and the USA, has influenced the development of global and national TB programs, including informing WHO TB guidelines.  He is widely published with 133 peer-reviewed articles including leading journals such as The Lancet, Nature, JAMA Network Open, Lancet Microbe, and BMC Medicine and has been listed among the World’s Top 2% of Scientists in the Stanford University rankings for three consecutive years (2020-2022).  Australia Magazine recognized him as a “rising star and a leader of the future” and listed him among the top 5 young Australian researchers in the field of Health and Medical Sciences in 2020.  

SCOPE is proud to have played a role in his amazing career.  You can learn more about SCOPE Fellowships by visiting the Graduate Student Fellowships page on the SCOPE website.