Dr Negussie Megersa - Group Leader in Ethiopia

Meet Dr Negussie Megersa, group leader for the ISP supported research group in chemistry at the Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.

Dr Megersa is in Sweden for five weeks to reinitiate collaboration with Lund University, a place he knows very well since he did his PhD in Chemistry there 1996 to 2000. He believes that the exchange of staff, students and experience sharing between the north and the south is very important and something we all benefit from, especially the students. This year four of the PhD and three master students from his research group will graduate. The main focus and interest of the research group is analysis of agrichemical pollution.

- This is a very important area to study because our country is expanding the agricultural sector, both for local use and for export. The industry is also on the up-coming, and it is happening very fast. We want to know the effect certain production in the industry and the agricultural sector has on the environment. Both on humans, the earth and on the aquatic life. 

The research group has started to approach the local society with their research results and information about the risks of agrochemical, industrial and municipal waste, as well as measures to minimize and eventually avoid their risks. Policy makers have also been approached with research results; for example the concerns of highly polluted rivers used for drinking water.

Dr Negussie’s interest in chemical research started in early school days, and has since then been the focus of his studies and careers.

- Chemistry can be integrated with most applied fields of science; the food we eat, the environment we live in, the composition of our systems – as well as the whole organism of life systems.

June 2014