Yonas Hirutu

Research Fellow in Genomics

Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom (UK)

VALIDATE Role:

Network Associate

Research Keywords:

Tuberculosis (TB), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Antimicrobial Resistance, Genomics, Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics and Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS)

Biography:

I am a Research Fellow in Genomics at Oxford Brookes University, specialising in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). My work is closely aligned with the TB Genetics (TBGEN) consortium under the H3Africa initiative, where I employ advanced bioinformatics and genomic analysis techniques to explore host-pathogen interactions in tuberculosis (TB) across African populations. This research involves the development of bioinformatics pipelines for next-generation sequencing (NGS) data to reveal genetic factors associated with drug resistance, virulence, and disease severity in TB. Through the TBGEN project, I aim to support public health initiatives by identifying genetic markers that can guide improved TB management and inform vaccine strategies, particularly in low-resource settings.

Related Websites:

Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Research Directorate (BTBIRD)

Key Publications:

Kassahun, Y., Mattiangeli, V., Ameni, G., Hailu, E., Aseffa, A., Young, D. B., Hewinson, R. G., Vordermeier, H. M., & Bradley, D. G. (2015). Admixture mapping of tuberculosis and pigmentation-related traits in an African–European hybrid cattle population. Frontiers in Genetics, 6, 210.
Gebremicael, G., Kassa, D., Alemayehu, Y., Gebreegziaxier, A., Kassahun, Y., van Baarle, D., Ottenhoff, T. H. M., Cliff, J. M., & Haks, M. (2019). Gene expression profiles classifying clinical stages of tuberculosis and monitoring treatment responses in Ethiopian HIV-negative and HIV-positive cohorts. PLOS ONE, 14(12), e0226137.
Mekonnen D, Derbie A, Abeje A, Shumet A, Kassahun Y, Nibret E, Munshea A, Bobosha K, Wassie L, Biadglegne F, Aseffa A, Sack U. Genomic diversity and transmission dynamics of M. tuberculosis in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2019 Dec 1;23(12):1314-1326. doi: 10.5588/ijtld.19.0127. PMID: 31931916.
Tilahun M, Wegayehu T, Wondale B, Gebresilase TT, Gebreyohannes T, Tekola A, Alemu M, Neway S, Adnew B, Nassir MF, Kassahun Y, Aseffa A, Bobosha K. Phenotypic and genotypic drug susceptibility patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Central and Southern Ethiopia. PLoS One. 2023 Sep 8;18(9):e0285063.
Kassahun, Y., Bayeleygne, M. D., Desta, A. F., Tariku, T., & Abebe, M. (2018). Training workshop on Mycobacterium whole genome sequence data analysis. EMBnet.journal, 24, 920.