Afework Kassu Gizaw

Afework Kassu Gizaw (born January 3, 1971) is an Ethiopian educator and government official. He currently serves as Director General of Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI) of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia since January 2022.

Early life and education
Gizaw was born on January 3, 1971, in Dawro, Ethiopia. He holds a B.Sc. in biology, an M.Sc. in applied microbiology, and a Ph.D. in biomedical science. He also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Immunology at the University of Colorado Denver, USA.

Career
He has served as a State Minister at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Science and Technology of the Ethipia. He has also contributed to the establishment of various councils and advisory committees in Ethiopia, including the Ethiopian Professors Council, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education Advisory Council, the National Council for Research and Tech Transfer on COVID-19, and the Scientific Journals Accreditation System. He is a professor of medical microbiology and immunology at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. He also teaches at Gondar University

Accolades
He was awarded the "Decoration of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star from the Government of Japan in May 2022. He is also a Fellow of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences and a recipient of the Young Rising Star Award for research activities as well as effective leadership at the University of Gondar He also received the Best Poster Award at the Third Advanced Course on Diagnostics, organized by Foundation Merieux and The London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Les Pensieres Veyver Du Lac, Annecy France in September 2012.