Ethiopian Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists Association in Diaspora (EPPAD) is a legally registered 501 (c) non-profit professional association incorporated in the State of Virginia, USA, with a mission of bringing pharmaceutical and allied professionals together to contribute to pharmacy education, practice, service, and scholarships. EPPAD serves as a bridge to connect pharmacy professionals working abroad with those working in Ethiopia to promote knowledge exchange, mobilize resources, advocate for appropriate policy and regulatory reforms and advance the development of quality and safe medicines. Dr. Tesfaye is recipient of the 2021 EPPAD research and development excellence award and a member of EPPAD advisory board. EPPAD Board decided to dedicate this scholarship program in his name.
Dr. Tesfaye Biftu received his PhD from Brandeis University in chemistry and MBA from Rutgers University in management. After a brief career at Addis Ababa University, he first joined Merck and Co. as a medicinal chemist and later went to CytoMed Inc as a Senior Director of Medicinal Chemistry. Later, he returned to Merck where he served sequentially as a Distinguished Senior Investigator and Director of Discovery Chemistry. Dr. Biftu has published or presented over 80 manuscripts and book chapters and is an inventor or co-inventor of over 95 US and international patents in various areas of drug discovery in human and animal health including inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, thrombosis, obesity, metabolic disorders, anti-cancer agents and infectious diseases. He was the program lead and key innovator in the discovery of several drug candidates including Marizev™, the Once Weekly DPP-4 Inhibitor anti-diabetic agent, and key player in the Januvia™ project. He managed external (US, China and India) and internal resources. Between 2009-2013, he lectured on various topics in Medicinal Chemistry and Therapeutics at Jefferson University and several other international organizations. Dr. Biftu served (2019-2021) as an Expert Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC) member of the Geneva based Medicine for Malaria Venture (MMV) and Distinguished Professor and Director of the Institute of Therapeutic Science at Adama University (2019-21) and currently mentors PhD students in the Food and Nutrition department of Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
EPPAD through Dr. Tesfaye Biftu scholarship is committed to supporting the future of pharmaceutical profession via promoting excellence in pharmacy practice and providing assistant to student pharmaceutical professionals to enhances their leadership skills.
Dr. Tesfaye scholarship program will financially support two pharmacists/pharmaceutical scientist students with a stipend of $1,000.
Eligibility criteria
- Ethiopian descent pharmacy or pharmaceutical science students attending school of pharmacy in the US at the time of application submission.
- Students in a good academic standing (Cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 on 4.0 scale)
- Complete at least one academic year cycle.
- Being EPPAD Member is a plus but not required.
- Willingness to support activities of EPPAD.
Application requirements
- An academic transcript (an unofficial transcript is acceptable)
- Letters of recommendations (two)-one must be from faculty members.
- Updated resume.
- An Essay of less than 500 words on one of the following topics:
- Essay 1: improving the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare system in Ethiopia: challenges and solutions.
- Essay 2: How can pharmacy education in Ethiopia be improved to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare system and the pharmaceutical industry?
- Essay 3: How can pharmaceutical industry and healthcare system in Ethiopia be improved to enhance the quality of life for its citizens?
- Essay 4: The role of pharmacist in health care team and public health
The scholarship committee will select awardees based on careful review of submitted applications and interviews.
Please submit your application to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if interested
The deadline for Student scholarships application is May 1, 2023, 11:59pm EST