As the STRIPE Project Principal Investigator for Ethiopia, Professor Deressa coordinates the overall implementation of the project in country. He leads both the quantitative and qualitative components of the research, including planning, data collection, data management and analysis, and report and scientific paper writing.  

As a senior faculty member at the Department of Preventive Medicine at the School of Public Health of Addis Ababa University, Professor Deressa is a public health specialist focusing on epidemiology and is experienced in public health research and practice, disease prevention and control, research management and teaching experience. His primary research areas focus is in observational and intervention research to support equitable improvement of malaria prevention and control, infectious disease prevention and control, environmental and occupational health, NCDs including injuries, climate and health in Ethiopia and low-income countries.