Adey Desta

Adey Feleke Desta is an assistant professor of environmental microbiology and biotechnology in the Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University.  She received her PhD in applied microbiology from Addis Ababa University in 2014.  Her research focuses on microbial ecology of biological wastewater treatment systems, with a particular focus on the ecology and dynamics of xenobiotic compound-degrading bacteria. Through research fellowships from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and African Biosciences Challenge Fund (ABCF), she conducted research on detection and monitoring of microbial communities in biological wastewater treatment plants of resource- poor settings.   Through the research fellowship from the University of Michigan African Presidential Scholars (UMAPS) she has been involved in role and fate of microbes during the process of nutrient recovery from human liquid waste.  Since 2016, Dr. Desta has been conducting further research on waste-to fertilizer approach in Ethiopia through the funds she won from Addis Ababa University and USAID in partnership with The University of Michigan.