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Eyerusalem Befkadu, PharmD, BCPS is an emergency medicine clinical specialist at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital. She has worked in a wide array of clinical areas working with physician groups to practice evidence-based medicine. In her current role, she practices as a pharmacist clinician providing safe and effective care of patients, primarily in the emergency department. She participates in quality improvement initiatives through the development of institutional clinical guidelines and protocols. She has also successfully implemented a naloxone dispensing program in the emergency department as part of an initiative to improve safe access and provision of life-saving medications.

Prior to her emergency medicine practice at Georgetown University Hospital, she practiced as an emergency medicine clinical pharmacist at Virginia Hospital Center.  During her tenure, she established new emergency department clinical pharmacy services that include expanding the role of a pharmacist to participate in medical and trauma emergencies, pioneering a medication reconciliation program, implementing quality initiatives and conducting various research projects.

She received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Maryland Baltimore county and her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Touro College of Pharmacy. She completed her Post Graduate Year One(PGY-1) pharmacy practice residency training at Howard University Hospital.

Helen HaileSelassie, PharmD, is a residency-trained and board-certified pharmacist with over 10 years of experience working in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. In her current role as a clinical manager, she oversees the development of formulary submission documents for managed care decision makers in formulary and coverage evaluations to improve market access. She participates in health economics and outcomes research engagements and strategic planning throughout a product life cycle for commercialization of pharmaceutical products and medical device technologies in the global biopharmaceutical market. She also serves as a clinical resource for the implementation of medical, quality improvement, outcomes and market research activities within cross-functional teams.

In her previous role, she practiced as a clinical pharmacist and pharmacy leader, overseeing operational and clinical services for the safe delivery of pharmacy services in an institution-based setting. She has expertise in a wide array of clinical areas delivering patient care and maximizing therapeutic regimens, as well as developing clinical protocols for Pharmacy & Therapeutics committees using evidence-based medicine.

She also has experience writing and editing academic manuscripts for original research and review articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals. She continues to precept pharmacy students in her current work practice and is a fellowship advisor for research development.

She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and completed her Post Graduate Year One (PGY-1) pharmacy practice residency training. She was the recipient of the Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Award. She is a member of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy and the Industry Pharmacists Organization.

 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