Developing and validating machine learning methods for quantifying neurodegenerative disease from PET and MRI.
Created THETA, a novel tau PET summary metric for Alzheimer’s disease (published in Journal of Nuclear Medicine).
Leading projects on tau therapeutic windows for anti-amyloid therapy, MSA imaging signatures, MRI harmonization, brain age prediction, and synthetic tau PET generation.
Contributing to multiple NIH-funded studies.
Education
PhD in Medicine (Medical Physics and Technology)
University of Oulu, Finland
Thesis: “Computed tomography assessment of low-energy acetabular fractures in the elderly.”
Developed the first deep learning application for detecting hip osteoarthritis from clinical CT and identified CT-based structural risk factors for low-energy acetabular fractures.
Published 3 first-author papers in Osteoporosis International, Annals of Biomedical Engineering, and Bone.
Research featured in two Finnish national publications (Tekniikka&Talous and Kauppalehti).
MSc in Biomedical and Clinical Technology (Ing.)
Czech Technical University, Prague & University of Groningen, Netherlands (Erasmus Mundus Joint Degree)
Erasmus Mundus full-ride scholarship recipient (fewer than 5% acceptance rate).
Joint master’s degree across two European institutions in Biomedical Engineering.
BSc in Biomedical Engineering (Summa Cum Laude)
Jimma University, Ethiopia
Graduated with highest academic honors.
Recognized as the best young scientist in Ethiopia for undergraduate thesis on wireless infant incubators.
Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) ∙
January 2025
Awarded annually to one trainee for the most outstanding first-author paper published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Received for the THETA tau PET quantification paper.
Don Summers Memorial MSA Travel Fellowship Award
American Autonomic Society / Multiple System Atrophy Coalition ∙
January 2025
Awarded for the most outstanding abstract pertaining to multiple system atrophy at the AAS annual meeting.
Young Investigator Travel Scholarship
Human Amyloid Imaging (HAI) Conference ∙
January 2023
Competitive scholarship for students and postdoctoral researchers based on scientific merit of submitted abstract.
Mayo Clinic Radiology Research Fellowship
Mayo Clinic ∙
September 2021
Internally competitive institutional award providing salary and research support for postdoctoral fellows in imaging research.
Travel Scholarship Award
Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) ∙
January 2019
Awarded competitively based on abstract quality for CT-based bone characterization of acetabular fractures.
Erasmus Mundus Scholarship
European Commission ∙
September 2013
Full-ride scholarship for joint master’s degree, awarded to fewer than 5% of applicants based on academic excellence and research potential.
Summa Cum Laude and Best Young Scientist
Jimma University, Ethiopia ∙
June 2013
Graduated with highest academic honors and recognized as the best young scientist in Ethiopia for undergraduate thesis on wireless infant incubators.