Meet the Students: Lidya Abebe

Lidya Abebe

Prior Education:

Addis Ababa University, Public Health

Graduate Group

Graduate Group in Epidemiology

Research Focus

My research focuses on the relationship between dietary intake during pregnancy and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. 

What sparked your initial interest in the field of global nutrition? 

My interest in global nutrition started after I joined Stewart’s Lab and attended the Advanced Nutrition Seminar that is offered every quarter. During our lab meetings, I had the chance to listen to students talk about their research projects, and I found many of them interesting. Working on the ARM-CHAMPS project also introduced me to global nutrition and helped me see the nutrition challenges faced by mothers and children in different countries. I also had discussions with senior and current global nutrition students, and hearing about their experiences helped shape my interest in the field. These experiences gradually increased my interest in global nutrition and encouraged me to learn more about it.

Please describe a specific project or paper you are particularly proud of?

A project I am particularly proud of is the ARM-CHAMPS project. Before joining the project, I knew very little about dietary assessment methods and the NCI method for estimating usual nutrient intake. Through this project, I learned many of the details of dietary assessment, including the importance of accurate measurement and how measurement error can affect nutrition research findings. The project also sparked a deep interest in measurement error in nutrition and how we can improve dietary assessment methods to obtain more accurate estimates of nutrient intake. I have been involved in data management, data cleaning, data analysis, and manuscript writing. We have now drafted the manuscript and shared it with coauthors for review. I am proud that the findings from this project have been shared at different scientific meetings. The work was presented at the 23rd International Congress of Nutrition, and I will also be presenting the findings at the upcoming American Society for Nutrition meeting.

What are the most rewarding aspects of your work in the field of global nutrition?

One of the most rewarding aspects of working in global nutrition is being exposed to many different research topics that affect people around the world. Global nutrition helps me see that many nutrition problems are not limited to one country or one population. It has also encouraged me to actively seek opportunities to learn from others. For example, I participated in a dietary assessment course that brought together researchers from different countries, which allowed me to learn from their experiences and perspectives. In addition, the ARM-CHAMPS project involves collaboration among researchers from Kenya, Ethiopia, Emory University, and UC Davis. Working with people from different backgrounds and areas of expertise has given me the opportunity to learn new skills, understand different research approaches, and gain insight into the nutrition challenges faced in different settings. I find it rewarding that global nutrition not only helps improve health outcomes but also creates opportunities to learn from and collaborate with people across the world.

What are your career goals after graduation? 

My career goal after graduation is to stay in academia. I enjoy the curiosity that comes with research and learning new things. I want to contribute to improving exposure assessment in nutrition, especially dietary assessment methods. I am also passionate about mathematics and statistics, and I hope to use these skills in nutritional epidemiology. My goal is to help develop better ways of measuring dietary intake and nutritional exposures so that nutrition research can be more accurate and useful.

When you aren't working or studying, what do you do for fun?

When I am not working or studying, I enjoy spending time away from electronics with the people I cherish. I spend most of my free time with my church community, volunteering, going on outings, or visiting elderly homes. I also enjoy outdoor activities and sports like soccer. Spending time with people, being active, and enjoying nature helps me relax and recharge.