Uncategorised

Dr. Alemayehu Akalu was born and raised in Ethiopia. He received his BSc degree in physics from Jimma University in Jimma, Ethiopia. He then came to the United States to pursue his dream of becoming a pharmacist. He joined Howard University College of Pharmacy in 2013 and graduated with magna cum laude and received his doctor of pharmacy degree in 2017. He was the recipient of dean’s leadership award, NIH endowment scholarship, dean’s scholarship, and Howard University College of Pharmacy Alumni Scholarship. During his stay at the college, he served as class president for the graduating class, vice president for Rho Chi pharmacy honor society Howard University chapter 2015-2016, chairman of community service 2015- 2016, and student representative for the assessment committee 2014- 2016. He published a research paper that considered the impact of co-administering medications with albumin in a hypoalbuminic patients while he was in pharmacy school. Dr. Alemayehu is currently doing an ORISE fellowship with the US-FDA. His current research studies evaluate opportunities for extrapolation of adult efficacy data in schizophrenia and polyarticular juvenile arthritis (PJIA), pediatric development of molecularly targeted drugs, and roles of fusion oncoproteins in pediatric malignancies.

   Traditional Medicine Group Coordinator 

Dr. Fekadu Fulas is a researcher and academician with long years of experience in natural products research and clinical pharmacy practice 

Dr. Bisrat Hailemeskel is a full-time faculty member at the rank of Full Professor & Co-Director of International Grant in the College of Pharmacy, Howard University. He received his Bachelor of Pharmacy and Master of Science Degrees from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia and Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from the University of Toledo, Ohio. He served as a clinical pharmacist at various institutions before joining Howard. Dr. Hailemeskel came to Howard in July 1997 and then received his tenureship in 2003. Dr. Hailemeskel has received numerous research grants from government and non-government institutions. Dr. Hailemeskel was the recipient of the 2007 -2008 Fulbright Scholarship as a teacher/research fellow, a distinguished award from the US Department of States, to teach and conduct research in Africa. As a principle Investigator, he has also received over a million dollars grant for the “Howard-Addis Ababa University Twinning Partnership” project to promote pharmaceutical care education in Ethiopia through a grant from the American International Health Alliance and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Dr. Hailemeskel awarded to become a Fulbright Visiting Professor by the US State Department since 2014. In 2010, he was also received the “Outstanding Faculty” Award from Howard University Alumni Association. Dr. Hailemeskel has over 50 research papers published in peer-reviewed journals. He has also over 100 invited presentations, abstracts, and posters presentations at major local, national, and international scientific professional associations. Dr. Hailemeskel served as a secretary and Executive Committee member of the Ethiopian North America Health Professionals Association (ENAHPA) from 2005-2008. He was the founder and past president of the Ethiopian Pharmacists Association in North America. He also appointed 2003-2005 Research Fellow by the Center for Minority Health Services Research (CMHSR), funded by AHRQ.

Raniya Ali Al-Matari was born in the United States to a Yemini father and Ethiopian mother and raised in the Middle East capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh. She attendant various international schools in Saudi Arabia where, she met students and colleagues from around the globe. Her curiosity, and willingness to befriend and communicate effectively with her new-found friends, allowed her to eventually learn and become fluent in the five different languages of English, Arabic, Amharic, Tigrinya, and Urdu.

After graduating from high school, she moved to Jordan to study pharmacy at Jordan University of Science and technology and completed her degree in 2008. She moved to Alexandria, Virginia, so that she could pursue a Ph.D. degree in Pharmacy Administration. Shecompleted her Dissertation entitled Development and Validation of an Amharic version Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire and its use in the assessment of medication adherence predictors among persons of Ethiopian descent. Additionally, Raniya was a Research & Teaching Assistant, a member of the Howard University, Student Chapter of American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), and a member of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics & Outreach (ISPOR). Raniya is a Board-Certified Pharmacist in Saudi Arabia and Board-Certified Pharmacy Technician in the US. She was the recipient of the Chauncey Ira Cooper Scholarship from the Howard University Alumni Association, and the Mordecai Wyatt Johnson Award from the Howard University’s, Donor Scholarship. She is currently teaching at Howard University as a Biostatistics instructor to the freshman and sophomore students in the National Workforce Pipeline Program. She also works in different projects using several secondary analyses. She’s research interests include pharmacoepidemiology, health outcome research, and secondary data analysis.