Aster Tsegaye is a Professor of Immunohematology and a passionate educator and researcher. She has more than 35 years of experience providing routine clinical laboratory diagnostic service; research; teaching; and leadership experience of laboratories, department, school and the largest Teaching Hospital in Ethiopia. Currently, she is Lead Executive Officer of the Policy, Strategy and Research Lead Executive office of the Federal Ministry of Health. Aster is a member of the Governing Council and Chair of the Research Committee of African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth); Fellow of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, founder and past President of the Ethiopian Women in Science and Technology and President of the Ethiopian Medical Laboratory Association.

She has authored or co-authored more than 135 Scientific Publications and has advised/co-advised over 160 graduate students. She has been coordinating a research project on COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness, vaccination uptake among healthcare workers and impact of COVID-19 on the health programs of 12 African countries. Aster is a recipient of awards for being an outstanding female researcher, educator and long years of service provision, including voluntary services to patient associations. Aster has a BSc (Biology) and MSc (Zoology) from Addis Ababa University, and a PhD (HIV Immunology) from the University of Amsterdam.