Food and Nutrition Research Institute

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Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), Jimma University

Professor Mubarek Abera Mengistie, PHD
Director, Food and Nutrition Research Institute

Contact:
Email: Mubarek.abera@ju.edu.et
Phone: +251918 96 8803

Who We Are

The Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) at Jimma University (JUFNRI) is a center of excellence working at the intersection of science, policy, and implementation. We generate high-quality, policy-relevant evidence and translate it into practical solutions that strengthen food systems and improve nutrition and health outcomes.

Malnutrition in all its forms – low production, food loss, food insecurity, undernutrition, overnutrition – remains one of the most urgent public health and development challenges in Ethiopia, across Africa, and globally. Its persistence reflects systemic and structural gaps within food and health systems, and socio-economic environments, with profound implications for human capital, productivity, and long-term development.

Our work aligns with national priorities while contributing to regional and global efforts to prevent and reduce food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms.

Vision

To be a leading national center of excellence, recognized regionally and globally, shaping food and nutrition policy, advancing systems innovation, and delivering measurable improvements in nutrition, health, and human capital.

Mission

To generate rigorous multidisciplinary evidence, strengthen national capacity, foster food systems innovation, and translate research into policies and programs for resilient food systems and sustainable nutrition outcome.

Our Strategic Role

The Institute serves as a national platform for integrated, high-impact research and innovations that drives:

  • Positive food, nutrition and health impact
  • Evidence-informed nutrition policy
  • Stronger implementation and delivery systems
  • Innovation across food value chains
  • Institutional accountability and performance measurement
  • Scalable, sustainable nutrition solutions

Staff Profile

Center for Food Research
  1. Professor Yetenayet Bekele (Professor, PhD): Food Science and Technology
    Email: yetenayet.bekele@ju.edu.et, yetenayet@gmail.com
  2. Professor Sirawdink Fikereyesus (Professor, PhD): Food Science and Postharvest Technology
    Email: sirawdink.fikreyesus@ju.edu.et, sirawdink@gmail.com
  3. Dr. Abebe Yimer (Assistant Professor, PhD): Food Science and Technology
    Email: abebe.yimer@ju.edu.et, abebeyimer2010@gmail.com
  4. Tizazu Yirga (Assistant Professor, MSc): PhD Fellow – Food Engineering
    Email: Tizazuyirga@gmail.com, Tizazu.yirga@ju.edu.et
  5. Haile Tesfaye (Assistant Professor, MSc): PhD Fellow- Food Packaging Technology
    Email: hailetesfaye840@gmail.com
  6. Chala Gowe (Assistant Professor, MSc): PhD Fellow – Food Science and Technology
    Email: chala.gowe@ju.edu.et, chala.gowe@gmail.com
  7. Kumela Dibaba (Assistant Professor, MSc): PhD Fellow – Food Science and Technology
    Email: kumela.dibaba@ju.edu.et, kumediba@gmail.com
  8. Demelash Hailu (Assistant Professor, MSc): PhD Fellow – Food Science and Nutrition
    Email: hailudeme@gmail.com
Jimma University Clinical and Nutrition Research Center
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Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center
  1. Professor Tefera Belachew Lema, MD, PHD
    Profile: https://ju.edu.et/health-institute/staff-members/tefera-belachewlema/
    Phone: +251917804072
    Email: teferabelache2@gmail.com / tefera.belachew@ju.edu.et
  2. Professor Kalkidan Hassen Abate, PHD
    Profile: https://ju.edu.et/health-institute/staff-profile-15/?staff_page=3
    Phone: +251911370862
    Email: Kalkidan.hassen@ju.edu.et
  3. Dr. Dessalegn Tamiru Adugna, PHD
    Profile: https://ju.edu.et/health-institute/staff-profile-15/?staff_page=5
    Phone: +251912373397
    Email: dessalegn97@gmail.com / dessalegn.tamiru@ju.edu.et
  4. Dr. Melese Sinaga Teshome, PHD
    Profile: https://ju.edu.et/health-institute/staff-profile-15/?staff_page=5
    Phone: +251911538218
    Email: dagimele2@gmail.com, melese.sinaga@ju.edu.et
  5. Dr. Meseret Moges Gebre Tsadik, PHD
    Profile: https://ju.edu.et/health-institute/staff-profile-15/?staff_page=6
    Phone: +251917804361
    Email: mesetamrat@yahoo.com, mesegete@gmail.com
  6. Dr. Aderajew Nigusse Teklehaimanot, PHD
    Email: aderajewnu@gmail.com or aderajewnu@yahoo.com
    Phone: +251953912412 or +251912914777
  7. Dr. Beakal Zinab Tefera, PHD
    Profile: https://ju.edu.et/health-institute/staff-profile-15/?staff_page=8
    Phone: 0942623252
    Email: beakalzinab1@gmail.com
  8. Dr. Getu Gizaw, PHD
    Profile: https://ju.edu.et/health-institute/staff-profile-15/?staff_page=3
    Phone: +251911817764
    Email: gechgizaw21@gmail.com or getu.gizaw@ju.edu.et
Self-interested Food and Nutrition Research team
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Our Core Areas of Intervention Are

  1. Food Systems Transformation and Innovation
    We advance nutrition-sensitive food systems through:

    • Climate-resilient post-harvest management practices that reduce losses and improve food quality.
    • Sustainable, nutrition-sensitive agriculture and inclusive value chains.
    • Food science, processing, preservation, and value addition to enhance food quality and availability.
    • Diet diversification, nutrient optimization, food fortification, and food enhancement strategies.
    • Strengthened food safety systems and laboratory science capacity.
    • Climate-resilient and indigenous food systems that promote sustainability and cultural relevance.
  2. Nutrition and Health Systems Research
    We conduct research across the life course, focusing on:

    • All forms of malnutrition, including undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight, and obesity.
    • The prevention and management of diet-related noncommunicable diseases.
    • Maternal, child, and adolescent nutrition to improve health, growth, and human capital outcomes.
    • Clinical, metabolic, and microbiome research to better understand the biological pathways linking diet and health.
    • Population-based nutritional epidemiology to generate robust evidence for policy, programming, and practice.
  3. Policy, Governance, and Implementation Science
    We strengthen nutrition systems by focusing on:

    • The development and strengthening of policies and strategies that advance food and nutrition priorities.
    • Improved program design and rigorous performance evaluation to enhance effectiveness and impact.
    • System readiness to ensure equitable and high-quality nutrition service delivery.
    • Cost-effectiveness and sustainable nutrition financing to maximize impact and long-term sustainability.
    • Evidence translation and policy advisory engagement to bridge research, practice, and decision-making.
    • Multisectoral coordination and accountability mechanisms to improve coherence and shared responsibility.
    • Implementation research and scientific innovation to generate actionable knowledge and drive continuous improvement.

Our Institutional Structure

The Institute operates through three complementary centers of excellence, and the Self-Interested Food and Nutrition Research Group (SIFNRG), forming an integrated and collaborative nutrition research platform:

  • Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (NERC) – Leads public health nutrition research to generate population-level evidence on malnutrition to inform national policy.
  • Jimma University Clinical and Nutrition Research Center (JUCAN) – Leads clinical, biochemical, and therapeutic nutrition research, develops interventions, and strengthens nutrition services.
    Website: https://ju.edu.et/jucan/
  • Center for Food Research (CFR) – Leads food systems, food science, and nutrition innovation, improving food quality, safety, and accessibility.
  • Self-Interested Food and Nutrition Research Group (SIFNRG): A self-initiated group of academicians and researchers who collaboratively research specific food- and nutrition-related problems based on shared research interests and expertise.

Each center works at the intersection of food science, clinical nutrition, and public health, ensuring research translates into policy and practice with the following major (but not limited to) core focus area.

Detail scientific works managed through each centres
  1. Center for Food Research (CFR)
    CFR focuses on food systems, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and food science innovation, ensuring that improved food quality translates into measurable nutritional gains.

    • Advances research on food loss reduction, food quality, safety, fortification, and value addition
    • Develops context-appropriate food technologies to minimize losses, ensure food safety and enhance nutrient density, and dietary quality.
    • Supports agri-food system transformation through research and innovation on processing, storage, and supply chains
    • Provides technical evidence for national food standards, regulatory frameworks, and food policy reforms
    • Support and Promotes nutrition-sensitive value chains and food system interventions.
    • Works at the intersection of food science, clinical, and public health nutrition research.
  2. Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (NERC)
    NERC anchors the Institute’s work in public health nutrition and population science. It generates high-quality evidence on malnutrition, identifies structural determinants, and informs national and regional policies.

    • Leads large-scale epidemiological studies on malnutrition in all its forms across the life course
    • Evaluates the effectiveness of national nutrition programs and interventions
    • Evaluate food and nutrition intervention through implementation science
    • Develops locally relevant, cost-effective indicators for monitoring nutrition and NCD risks
    • Provides high-level technical advisory support on nutrition to government and development partners
    • Serves as a national center of excellence for advanced nutrition training in epidemiology, biostatistics, and implementation science
    • Works at the intersection of public health, clinical, and food systems research
  3. Jimma University Clinical and Nutrition Research Center (JUCAN)
    JUCAN drives clinical, biochemical, and therapeutic nutrition research, bridging laboratory science, patient care, and population health.

    • Conducts clinical and interventional studies on undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, obesity, and diet-related NCDs
    • Houses advanced laboratory platforms for metabolic, biomarker, and body composition analysis
    • Develops and evaluates therapeutic foods and nutrition interventions for clinical use
    • Supports evidence-based clinical nutrition guidelines and practices
    • Provides training and mentorship in clinical and biochemical nutrition
    • Works at the intersection of clinical, public health, and food systems research
  4. SINRG assess specific food and nutrition related problems contributing quality evidence
    • Conduct specific food- and nutrition-related research projects within defined timeframes or project periods
    • Contributes to addressing specific research questions to advance existing knowledge and strengthen the evidence base.
    • Works at the intersection of food science, clinical, and public health nutrition research

Facility and Laboratory Capacity

  1. Center for Food Research (CFR)
    • Food Science & Technology Laboratories
      • Food chemistry laboratory (proximate and micronutrient analysis)
      • Food fortification and formulation laboratory
      • Sensory evaluation laboratory
      • Food quality and safety testing laboratory (microbiology, contaminants, mycotoxins)
      • Post-harvest technology and storage laboratory
      • Food processing and product development pilot plant
      • Packaging and shelf-life evaluation unit
    • Agri-Food Systems & Innovation Platforms
      • Nutrition-sensitive value chain research unit
      • Food loss and waste assessment unit
      • Supply chain modeling and food systems analytics unit
      • Food standards and regulatory science support unit
      • Community-based food technology demonstration center
  2. Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (NERC)
    • Population & Data Science Infrastructure
      • Epidemiology and biostatistics unit
      • Data management and advanced analytics unit
      • Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial nutrition unit
      • Implementation science and health systems research unit
      • Survey design and field coordination unit
    • Nutrition Surveillance & Monitoring Platforms
      • Nutrition and NCD surveillance unit
      • Cohort and longitudinal study coordination unit
      • Cost-effectiveness and health economics analysis unit
      • Program evaluation and impact assessment unit
  3. Jimma University Clinical and Nutrition Research Center (JUCAN)
    • Clinical & Biochemical Laboratory Infrastructure
      • Clinical nutrition research ward/unit
      • Longitudinal cohort research facility
      • Metabolic and endocrine laboratory
      • Micronutrient biomarker laboratory
      • Inflammation and cardiometabolic risk laboratory
      • Body composition assessment unit including:
        • Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA)
        • Tanita body composition analyzer
        • Air Displacement Plethysmography (Pea Pod and Bod Pod systems)
        • Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) – planned
      • Deuterium dilution technique platform
      • Clinical trial coordination and monitoring unit
      • Biobank and specimen repository
      • Deep freezers (-80°C and -20°C) for biological sample storage
      • Wet laboratory facility for biochemical assays and biological sample processing
    • Therapeutic & Translational Platforms
      • Therapeutic food formulation and evaluation unit
      • Medical nutrition therapy research clinic
      • Clinical guideline development and evidence synthesis unit
      • Patient-based intervention and follow-up center

Together, they create a continuous pathway from food systems innovation → clinical validation → population-level impact → policy reform.

By operating across the full nutrition spectrum—from farm to laboratory to clinic to community—the Institute positions Jimma University as a national and regional leader in nutrition systems transformation.

Internal Collaborating Institutes and centers

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National Collaborating Government Institutions and Nongovernmental Organisations

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External collaborating Institutions and Organisations

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Our Impact

  • Informing national nutrition and NCD strategies
  • Supporting school feeding and community nutrition programs
  • Developing affordable, nutritious, locally sourced foods
  • Enhancing food system resilience and sustainability
  • Building capacity for evidence-driven nutrition solutions