Research

Research Topics

My research is driven by real-world challenges faced by developing nations, particularly in Africa. As a result, my work focuses on advancing statistical methodologies to address critical public health issues in these regions. My expertise encompasses time-to-event (survival) analysis, statistical meta-analysis, and multivariate techniques, with a strong emphasis on collaborative public health projects.

Ph.D. Students

Completed:

Alain M. L. Moluh ( Ph.D. in Stat), defended in 2023, University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Tshilidzi B. Mulaudzi (Ph.D. in Stat), defended in 2022, University of Limpopo, South Africa.
Mogale T. Elizabet (Ph.D. in Pl Production), defended in 2022, University of Limpopo, South Africa.
Khehla Daniel Moloi (Ph.D. in Stat), defended in 2019, University of Limpopo, South Africa.

In progress:

Mesfin T. Haileyesus (Ph.D. in Stat), University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Mouhamed I. Oloude (Ph.D. in Stat), University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Peter M. Mphekgwana (Ph.D. in Stat), Under MoU with UMBC, University of Limpopo, South Africa.
Frederick M. Mashao (Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sc), Under MoU with UMBC, University of Limpopo, South Africa.

M.S. Students

Completed:

Tshepo Maja (M.S. in Stat), Completed in 2019, University of Limpopo, South Africa.
Thembhani Chavalala (M.S. in Stat), Completed in 2019, University of Limpopo, South Africa.
Marothi P. Letsoalo (M.S. in Stat), Completed in 2018, University of Limpopo, South Africa.
More than 10 Students (M.S. in Biostatistics), Completed between 2010 - 2015, Jimma University, Ethiopia.

Ph.D. Committee Member

Bonginkosi D. Ndlovu, 2022, University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.
Rabab Elnaiem, 2019, University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA.
Shijun Zhu, 2019, University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA.
Wenxin Lu, 2018, University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA.
Tshaudi Motsima, 2018, University of South Africa, South Africa.
Markos A. Erango, 2017, Hawassa University, Ethiopia.

Publications: Peer-reviewed

Google Scholar Link

Simma, E.A, Zegeye, H., Akessa, G.M., Kifle, Y.G., Zemene, E., Degefa, T. and Yewhalaw, D. (2025). Determination of the Residual Efficacy of Broflanilide (VECTRON T500) Insecticide for Indoor Residual Spraying in a Semi-field Setting in Ethiopia. Malar J 24(1): 1-9. [Malaria Journal]
Yewhalaw, D., Erena, E., Degefa, T., Kifle, Y.G., Zemene, E., and Simma, E. A. (2025). Biological and residual activity of candidate larvicide formulation, SumiLarv 2MR, against an exotic invasive mosquito Anopheles stephensi Liston, 1901 (Diptera: Culicidae) in Ethiopia. Sci Rep 15, 291 (2025). [Nature Scientific Reports]
Mphekgwana, P. M., Kifle, Y. G., and Marange, C. S. (2024). Bayes Estimation of a Common Mean of Several Normal Populations with Unknown Variances. International Journal of Statistical Sciences, 24(20), 81–94. [International Journal of Statistical Sciences]
Mphekgwana, P.M., Kifle, Y.G. and Marange, C.S. (2024). Pretest Estimation for the Common Mean of Several Normal Distributions: In Meta-Analysis Context. Axioms 2024, 13(9), 648. [Axioms: Probability, Statistics and Estimation]
Kifle, Y. G., Moluh A. and Sinha, B. K. (2024). Inference about a common mean vector from several independent multinormal populations with unequal and unknown dispersion matrices. Mathematics 2024, 12(17), 2723. [Mathematics]
Basak B, Kifle Y and Sinha B. (2024). Confidence Ellipsoids of a Multivariate Normal Mean Vector Based on Noise Perturbed and Synthetic Data with Applications. Special Issue in Memory of Prof. C R Rao. Statistics and Applications, Volume 22, No. 3, 2024 (New Series), pp 119–152. [Statistics and Applications]
Maru Y, Tamiru D, Baye K, Chitekwe S, Kifle YG, Lailou A and Belachew T. (2024). Comparing time to recovery in wasting treatment: simplified approach vs. standard protocol among children aged 6–59 months in Ethiopia - a cluster-randomized, controlled, non-inferiority trial. Frontiers in Pediatrics. 12 : 1337370. [Frontiers in Pediatrics]
Beyene, K. M., Chen, D. G., & Kifle, Y. G. (2024). A novel nonparametric time‐dependent precision–recall curve estimator for right‐censored survival data. Biometrical Journal, 66(3), 2300135. [Biometrical Journal]
Mphekgwana, P.M.; Kifle, Y.G.; Marange, C.S. (2024). Shrinkage Testimator for the Common Mean of Several Univariate Normal Populations. Mathematics 12(7), 1095. [Mathematics]
Mashao FM, Demoz B, Kifle Y, Klopper D, Chikoore H, Sakai RK, Ayisi KK. (2024). An Appraisal of the Progress in Utilizing Radiosondes and Satellites for Monitoring Upper Air Temperature Profiles. Atmosphere, 15(3):387. [Atmosphere]
Mulaudzi, T. B.; Kifle, Y. G.; Braekers, R. (2023). A Shared Frailty Model for Left Truncated and Right Censored Under-Five Child Mortality Data in South Africa. Stats 2023, 6(4), 1008 - 1018. [STATS]
Mphekgwana, P.M.; Sono-Setati, M.E.; Mokgophi, T.V.; Kifle, Y.G.; Madiba, S.; Modjadji, P. (2023). Retrospective Analysis of the Outcome of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients with Coexisting Metabolic Syndrome and HIV Using Multinomial Logistic Regression. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 5799. [Pubmed]
Kifle, Y. G., Chen. D. G., and Haileyesus, M. T. (2023). Multivariate Frailty Models using Survey Weights with Applications to Twins Infant Mortality in Ethiopia. Statistics and Its Interface, 16(4), 493-502. [SSI]
Mogale, E.T.; Ayisi, K.K.; Munjonji, L.; Kifle, Y.G. (2023). Biological Nitrogen Fixation of Cowpea in a No-Till Intercrop Under Contrasting Rainfed Agro-Ecological Environments. Sustainability 15, 2244. [Sustainability]
Tlou E. Mogale, Kwabena K. Ayisi, Lawrence Munjonji, Yehenew G. Kifle, Kabisheng E. Mabitsela. (2023). Understanding the Impact of the Intercropping System on Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions and Soil Carbon Stocks in Limpopo Province, South Africa. International Journal of Agronomy. [IJA]
Mogale, T.E.; Ayisi, K.K.; Munjonji, L.; Kifle, Y.G. (2022). Yield Responses of Grain Sorghum and Cowpea in Binary and Sole Cultures under No-Tillage Conditions in Limpopo Province. Agriculture 12, 733. [Agriculture]
Letsoalo, M. P., Kifle, Y. G., Lesaoana, M., & Faes, C. (2021). Analysis of Longitudinal Teenage Pregnancy Data of Mpunkunyoni, Kwazulu- Natal using Generalized Linear Mixed Model. International Journal of Statistical Science, 21(2), 225-238. [IJSS]
Kifle, Y. G., Maja, T. M, and Tamayo, R. A. (2021). Modeling time to first peritonitis episode using semi-parametric Cox and parametric AFT survival models. Journal of the Indian Association for Productivity, Quality and Reliability, 46(1-2), 1-16. [JIAPQR]
Kifle, Y. G., & Sinha, B. K. (2021). Comparison of Some Exact Tests for a Common Location Parameter of Several Truncated Exponential Distributions with Different Scale Parameters. Sankhya B, 83(1), 36-64. [Sankhya B]
Belay, D. B., Kifle, Y. G., Goshu, A. T., Gran, J. M., Yewhalaw, D., Duchateau, L., & Frigessi, A. (2017). Joint Bayesian modeling of time to malaria and mosquito abundance in Ethiopia. BMC Infectious Diseases, 17(1), 1-12. [Pubmed]
Seyoum, D., Degryse, J. M., Kifle, Y. G., Taye, A., Tadesse, M., Birlie, B., Duchateau, L.& Speybroeck, N. (2017). Risk factors for mortality among adult HIV/AIDS patients following antiretroviral therapy in Southwestern Ethiopia: an assessment through survival models. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(3), 296. [Pubmed]
Wondaya, S., Kifle, Y. G., Tereda, A. B., & Seyoum, D. (2016). Modeling Time to First Malaria Using Spatially Correlated Conditional Autoregressive Frailty Model. International Journal of Statistics and Applications, 6(6), 352-360. [IJSA]
Seyoum, D., Kifle, Y. G., Rondeau, V., Yewhalaw, D., Duchateau, L., Rosas-Aguirre, A., & Speybroeck, N. (2016). Identification of different malaria patterns due to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax in Ethiopian children: a prospective cohort study. Malaria Journal, 15(1), 1-11. [Pubmed]
Tolosa, T., Verbeke, J., Piepers, S., Tefera, M., Getachew Kifle, Y., Supré, K., & DeVliegher, S. (2016). Milk production, quality, and consumption in Jimma (Ethiopia): Facts and producers’, retailers’, and consumers’ perspectives. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 124, 9-14. [Pubmed]
Banbeta, A., Seyoum, D., Belachew, T., Birlie, B., & Getachew Kifle, Y. (2015). Modeling time-to-cure from severe acute malnutrition: application of various parametric frailty models. Archives of Public Health, 73(1), 1-8. [Pubmed]
Seid, A., Getie, M., Birlie, B., & Getachew Kifle, Y. (2014). Joint modeling of longitudinal CD4 cell counts and time-to-default from HAART treatment: a comparison of separate and joint models. Electronic Journal of Applied Statistical Analysis, 7(2), 292-314. [EJASA]
Yewhalaw, D., Hamels, S., Getachew Kifle, Y., Torgerson, P. R., Anagnostou, M., Legesse, W., Kloos, H., Duchateau, L., & Speybroeck, N. (2014). Water resource developments in Ethiopia: potential benefits and negative impacts on the environment, vector-borne diseases, and food security. Environmental Reviews, 22(4), 364-371. [Environmental Reviews]
Asale, A., Getachew Kifle, Y., Hailesilassie, W., Speybroeck, N., Duchateau, L., & Yewhalaw, D. (2014). Evaluation of the efficacy of DDT indoor residual spraying and long-lasting insecticidal nets against insecticide resistant populations of Anopheles arabiensis Patton (Diptera: Culicidae) from Ethiopia using experimental huts. Parasites & Vectors, 7(1), 1-9. [Pubmed]
Yewhalaw, D., Getachew Kifle, Y., Tushune, K., Kassahun, W., Duchateau, L., & Speybroeck, N. (2013). The effect of dams and seasons on malaria incidence and anopheles abundance in Ethiopia. BMC Infectious Diseases, 13(1), 1-9. [Pubmed]
Getachew Kifle, Y., Janssen, P., Yewhalaw, D., Speybroeck, N., & Duchateau, L. (2013). Coping with time and space in modelling malaria incidence: a comparison of survival and count regression models. Statistics in Medicine, 32(18), 3224-3233. [Pubmed]
Getachew, M., Yewhalaw, D., Tafess, K., Getachew Kifle, Y., & Zeynudin, A. (2012). Anaemia and associated risk factors among pregnant women in Gilgel Gibe dam area, Southwest Ethiopia. Parasites & Vectors, 5(1), 1-8. [Pubmed]
Yewhalaw, D., Asale, A., Tushune, K., Getachew Kifle, Y., Duchateau, L., & Speybroeck, N. (2012). Bio-efficacy of selected long-lasting insecticidal nets against pyrethroid resistant Anopheles arabiensis from South-Western Ethiopia. Parasites & Vectors, 5(1), 1-9. [Pubmed]
Kitila, M., Belew, D., Mohammed, A., & Getachew Kifle, Y. (2012). Effect of intra-row spacing and variety on fruit yield and quality of fresh market tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) under Jimma condition, Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 3(1), 31-42. [EJAST]
Yewhalaw, D., Wassie, F., Steurbaut, W., Spanoghe, P., Van Bortel, W., Denis, L., Tessema, D.A., Getachew Kifle, Y., Coosemans, M., Duchateau, L., & Speybroeck, N. (2011). Multiple insecticide resistance: an impediment to insecticide-based malaria vector control program. PloS One, 6(1), e16066. [Pubmed]
Belachew, T., Hadley, C., Lindstrom, D., Getachew Kifle, Y., Duchateau, L., & Kolsteren, P. (2011). Food insecurity and age at menarche among adolescent girls in Jimma Zone Southwest Ethiopia: a longitudinal study. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 9(1), 1-8. [Pubmed]
Belachew, T., Hadley, C., Lindstrom, D., Gebremariam, A., Michael, K. W., Getachew Kifle, Y., & Kolsteren, P. (2011). Gender differences in food insecurity and morbidity among adolescents in southwest Ethiopia. Pediatrics (American Academy of Pediatrics), 127(2), e398-e405. [Pubmed]
Bekele, M., Tesfay, H., & Getachew Kifle, Y. (2010). Bovine Fasciolosis: Prevalence and its economic loss due to liver condemnation at Adwa Municipal Abattoir, North Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 1, 39-47. [EJAST]
Belew, D., Astatkie, T., Mokashi, M. N., Getachew Kifle, Y., & Patil, C. P. (2010). Effects of salinity and mycorrhizal inoculation (Glomus fasciculatum) on growth responses of grape rootstocks (Vitis spp.). South African Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 31(2), 82-88. [SAJEV]
Getachew Kifle, Y., Gotu, B., & Enquselassie, F. (2010). An estimate of the magnitude and trend of HIV/AIDS epidemic using data from the routine VCT services as an alternative data source to ANC sentinel surveillance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ethiopian Medical Journal, 48(4), 257-266. PMID: 21280427. [Pubmed]
Tadesse, M., Hunde, D., & Getachew Kifle, Y. (2005). Survey of medicinal plants used to treat human diseases in Seka Chekorsa, Jimma zone, Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences, 15(2). [EJHS]

Books and Book Chapters

[Book Chapter] Kifle, Y. G., Moluh, A. M., & Sinha, B. K. (2021). Comparison of local powers of some exact tests for a common normal mean with unequal variances. In Methodology and Applications of Statistics: A Volume in Honor of C.R. Rao 100th Birthday, Edited by Barry C. Arnold, Narayanaswamy Balakrishnan, Carlos A. Coelho, pp. 77-101. Springer, Cham. [SPRINGER NATURE]
[Book Chapter] Duchateau, L., Getachew Kifle, Y., Asale, A., Spreybroeck, N., & Yewhalaw, D. (2013). Avoiding the trap of non-randomization in evaluating mosquito trapping. Pathogens and Global Health, Vol. 107, No. 8, 437.
[Book] Getachew Kifle, Y., Gashaw, B., Abegaz, F., Janssen, P., Van Keilegom, I., & Duchateau, L. (2009). Survival Analysis. North-South-South project in Biostatistics Series, Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR-UOS), Belgium. [NSS Biostat]

Research Support and Fellowships

(Co-PI) RTG: Data-Driven Models in Biological Systems, 2025 – 2030, Pending [$2,315,556], Submitted to the National Science Foundation (NSF).
(PI) Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP), Summer 2024 [$25,145], Funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY).
(PI) UMBC-ASA Partnership Grant, 2024 - 2025 [$60,000], Funded by American Statistical Association (ASA).
(PI) Summer Research Faculty Fellowship (SURFF), Summer 2022 [$6,000], Funded by University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA.
(PI) ASA-UMBC AIC Partnership Grant, 2019 - 2023 [$50,000], Funded by American Statistical Association (ASA).
(Co-PI) UCDP capacity building project: UL, UMBC & Iowa State University (Co-PI), funded by the South African Government, 2018 - 2022.
(Co-PI) MOUNAF (Mobilité Universitaire en Afrique) project for academic mobility (PI - UL Side), funded by the European Union, 2016 - 2017
(Co-PI) VLIR-IUC at Univ of Limpopo: Data Management & Statistics project (PI), funded by the Flemish Interuniversity Council, 2016 - 2018
(PI) NSS Project in Statistical Research Planning (PI: Africa side), funded by the Flemish Interuniversity Council, 2011 - 2012
(PI) NSS Project in Biostatistics (PI: Africa side), funded by the Flemish Interuniversity Council, 2009 - 2010

Invited Talks and Conferences

Invited Talks:

Invited speaker at the Annual Statistics Conference, Florida International University (FIU), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, April 11, 2025, Miami, USA.
Invited speaker at the 32nd Annual Conference of the Ethiopian Statistical Association (ESA), June 14 - 16, 2024, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Session Organizer and invited speaker in the 2023 International Indian Statistical Association (IISA) Conference, June 1 - 4, 2023, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, USA.
Invited speaker at the international conference on “Role of Advanced Statistical Tools for Sustainable Development”, organized by the University of Rajasthan, September 23-25, 2022, Jaipur, India.
Invited plenary speaker at the 5th virtual international conference organized by the Professional Statisticians Society of Nigeria (PSSN), July 7, 2021, Nigeria. Title: Statistical meta-analysis: Local powers of some exact tests for a common normal mean with unequal variances.
Invited speaker at the 58th Annual Conference of the South African Statistical Association (SASA) from 28 November to 1 December 2016, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Title: Survival Analysis of Under-five Twins Mortality Using Semiparametric Bivariate Frailty Models.
Paper presented at 28th session of the International Biometric Conference (IBC), sponsored by the International Biometric Society, 10-15 July 2016, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Title: Distance from a hydroelectric dam and time to malaria, with distance confounded with the clustering structure.
Keynote speaker at the International Biometric Conference (IBC) in East African region, 12 - 13 November 2015, in Kampala, Uganda. Title: Malaria incidence versus distance from a hydro-electric dam in Ethiopia: Various modeling approaches.
Invited speaker at the 57th Annual Conference of the South African Statistical Association (SASA) from 29 November to 2 December 2015, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Title: Modeling of malaria incidence and time-to-malaria using clustered survival and Count regression models.
Keynote speaker at 57th session of the International Statistical Institute (ISI) conference, 16 - 22 August 2009, Durban, South Africa. Title: An estimate of the magnitude and trend of HIV/AIDS epidemic using data from the routine VCT services as an alternative data source to ANC sentinel surveillance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Invited Colloquia and Seminars

In-person

Department of Statistics, University of Pittsburgh, USA, November 18, 2024.
Department of Mathematics , University of Louisiana at Lafayette, USA, November 7 and 8, 2024.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, August 19, 2024.
Department of Math and Statistics, Loyola University Maryland, USA, October 24, 2018.

Virtual

Department of Statistics, Central University of Haryana, India, June 02, 2022.
Department of Statistics, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, India, May 16, 2022.
Department of Statistics, University of Delhi, India, March 22, 2022.
Department of Statistics, Assam University, India, May 22, 2021.
Department of Statistics, Rajshahi University, Bangladesh, March 19, 2021.
Department of Statistics, University of Delhi, India, March 17, 2021.

International Training Workshops

Modules for Statistical Research Planning organized by the "North South South Initiative" (NSS) IUC VLIR-UNALM and the Programme of Institutional Cooperation of the Council of Flemish Universities (VLIR) and National Agrarian University La Molina (UNALM), La Molina, Peru, November 2011.
Global Health: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on HIV/AIDS organized by Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, USA, June 2011.
Bayesian Data Analysis: From theory to application, organized by IAP Research Network and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL), Belgium, February 2010.
Advanced Linear Mixed models, organized by the International Biometric Society (IBS) and Kabarak University, Nakuru, Kenya, September 2009.
Survey Sampling, organized by the International Association of Survey Statisticians (IASS), Durban, South Africa, August 2009.
Longitudinal and Incomplete Data, organized by the International Statistical Institute (ISI), Durban, South Africa, August 2009.
Missing Information in Survival Data Beyond Right Censoring, organized by IAP Research Network in Statistics and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium, September 2008.
The 13th International Post Graduate Course in: Hydro-meteorology held at the Regional Meteorological Training Center, Israel, March - April 2004.

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