Dr Asena’s LI post

We welcome Dr Tilahun Asena as a fellow at SSACAB! His research focuses on climate and health, and he will strengthen statistical approaches to understand the links between them. He brings extensive expertise in Bayesian and spatio-temporal modelling of infectious diseases and population health, developed through research published in leading international journals.

Originally from Ethiopia, Dr Asena will apply these advanced methods to climate-sensitive diseases such as malaria, integrating climate and health surveillance data to identify transmission hotspots and support climate-informed early warning systems. He will also contribute to capacity building through training, workshops, and mentorship for early-career researchers and public health professionals across the SSACAB network.

His published work includes contributions to The Lancet Neurology on the global burden of neurological disorders, as well as studies in PLOS ONE and BMC Paediatrics examining neonatal hypothermia and acute respiratory infections in children in Ethiopia. Earlier work has also explored Bayesian modelling of HIV/AIDS disease progression, childhood malnutrition, and contraceptive use patterns, demonstrating a sustained focus on population health in low- and middle-income settings. As an SSACAB Fellow, Dr Asena will apply these advanced methods to climate-sensitive diseases such as malaria, integrating climate and health surveillance data to identify transmission hotspots and support climate-informed early warning systems.

He will also contribute to capacity building through training, workshops, and mentorship for early-career researchers and public health professionals across the SSACAB network. Climate change is already altering disease dynamics across Africa, yet many countries lack the statistical infrastructure needed to anticipate and respond to these shifts. By combining rigorous modelling expertise with locally grounded health data, SSACAB Fellows like Dr Asena help transform climate and health data into actionable evidence—supporting early warning systems, policy-relevant insights, and more resilient public health responses.