Prof Dr Zeleke Mekonnen is a Professor of Medical Parasitology and Public Health Researcher at Jimma University, Ethiopia. He holds a BSc in Medical Laboratory Sciences from Jimma University and an MSc in Molecular & Cellular Biology from Heidelberg University, Germany. He obtained a joint PhD in Medical Sciences from the University of Antwerp and in Veterinary Medicine from Ghent University, Belgium. His research mainly focuses on parasitic and neglected tropical diseases, particularly soil-transmitted helminths, schistosomiasis, and other intestinal parasites, including zoonotic parasites. His work spans epidemiology, diagnostics, including molecular and AI-supported diagnostic approaches, clinical trials, drug efficacy studies, and the development and evaluation of control strategies. He has a strong interest in multidisciplinary research and One Health approaches, integrating basic, translational, and implementation research to support evidence-based disease control programs in endemic settings. He is actively involved in national and international research collaborations and has successfully contributed to securing several prestigious competitive research grants. To date, he has authored and co-authored more than 190 peer-reviewed scientific publications.