Taddese Zerfu is a Research Fellow in the Development Strategies and Governance Unit. Taddese’s research focuses on improving understanding about the nexus between agriculture, nutrition, and health (ANH). He is specifically interested in the complex interactions between livestock farming, animal-source food consumption, and maternal and child nutrition. He is also interested in investigating maternal and child health-related issues in low- and middle-income country settings. Prior to his work at IFPRI, he was as a clinician, researcher, and academic for over 18 years in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, and the UK. He served as a technical advisor and later a Senior Research Advisor for the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) in Ethiopia.

Taddese completed the Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (IMMANA) postdoctoral fellowship, Tufts University, and held a Post-Doctoral Research Scientist job at the Nairobi-based African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC). He recently completed the prestigious Marie Curie Fellowship at the Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems (GAAFS), University of Edinburgh (UoE). In addition, he has been extensively involved in teaching postgraduate students and supporting a research project for the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), based in Nairobi, Kenya. Taddese is the winner of the 2016 Tore Godal Medal award, the African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship (ADDRF), and several other research grants. He received his PhD in Food Science and Nutrition from Addis Ababa University (AAU) in 2016 and holds masters in Public Health from Jimma University.