Dr Tewodros Seyoum

Dr Tewodros Seyoum is a global midwife and maternal health enthusiast with 15+ years of experience in academia. He has a measurable impact on midwifery education, research, and practice in Africa.

As the first Ethiopian midwife to earn a PhD in midwifery, Dr Seyoum has broken professional barriers and set new benchmarks in the field. Before joining Burnet Institute, Dr Seyoum completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

Dr Seyoum is passionate about using data and research to drive impact on maternal health. His research niche focuses on midwife-led interventions in sexual, reproductive, and perinatal health, with a strong emphasis on implementation science and health systems research. Dr Seyoum has shared his research findings through journal articles, policy briefs, scientific presentations, podcasts, newsletters, and blogs.

As a chief and lead investigator, Dr Seyoum received grant funding and led research projects that contribute to better outcomes for women, their families, and society.

Dr Seyoum contributed to the national capacity of midwifery education in Ethiopia. Notably, he played a significant role in the development of Ethiopia’s first master's and PhD midwifery programs. He is also actively engaged in mentoring, currently supervising doctoral students.

Dr Seyoum has substantial experience building strategic partnerships and collaborating with academic institutions, UN agencies, and NGOs nationally and globally. He has led fruitful collaboration between the University of Gondar (Ethiopia) and Karolinska Institute (Sweden) to strengthen the PhD in midwifery program in Ethiopia.

Beyond academia, Dr Seyoum serves as a member of the national research advisory council on maternal health at the Ministry of Health Ethopia, an executive board member of the Ethiopian Midwives Association, a member of the African Regional Professional Committee at the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), and a member of the Expert Review Group for the WHO-UNFPA SRHR-UHC Learning by Sharing Portal.

• 2023–2025: Research Development Fellowship, African Research Excellence Fund, UK
• 2017–2022: Ph.D. in Midwifery and Women’s Health, University of Gondar & Karolinska Institute
• 2020–2021: MIDWIZE Capacity Building Program for Public Health Officials, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
• 2013–2014: Higher Diploma in Teaching Methodology, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
• 2011–2013: Master’s Degree in Clinical Midwifery, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
• 2005–2008: Bachelor of Science in Midwifery, University of Gondar, Ethiopia

• 2023–present: Affiliated Researcher, Department of Women and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
• 2025–present: Executive Sponsor, Midwife Leaders Sponsorship Program, International Confederation of Midwives
• 2025–present: Member, Expert Review Group for WHO–UNFPA SRHR-UHC Learning by Sharing Portal, World Health Organization
• 2024–2025: Member, Core Expert Group, Elrha, Avicena Health & Social Projects & Geneva Center of Humanitarian Studies, SRHR Research Prioritization in Crisis Settings
• 2023–present: Member, Research Advisory Council (Maternal–RAC), Ethiopian Ministry of Health
• 2023–present: Researcher, African Regional Professional Committee, International Confederation of Midwives (ICM)
• 2022–present: Executive Board Member, Ethiopian Midwives Association

• 2025–present: Midwifery Specialist, Global Women’s and Newborn’s Health, Burnet Institute, Australia
• 2023–2025: Research Consultant (PI), Ethiopian Midwives Association, Ethiopia
• 2023–2024: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
• 2022–2023: Department Head, Women and Family Health, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
• 2020–2021: Project Implementation Coordinator, MIDWIZE Capacity Building Training Program, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
• 2017–2025: Assistant Professor of Midwifery, School of Midwifery, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
• 2013–2017: Lecturer, School of Midwifery, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
• 2011–2013: Assistant Lecturer, Department of Midwifery, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
• 2010–2011: Assistant Graduate-II, Department of Midwifery, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
• 2009–2010: Assistant Graduate-I, Department of Midwifery, University of Gondar, Ethiopia

• 2025: Recipient of the Australian Global Talent PR Visa, Australian Government, Australia
• 2024: ICM Regional Conferences Bursary Award Winner, Africa & Eastern Mediterranean Region, Kigali, Rwanda
• 2024: Recognition for Contributions to the Research Advisory Council (Maternal Health), Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health, Ethiopia
• 2024: Recognition for Contributions to Midwifery Education and Research, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
• 2020: Safe motherhood Midwife Hero 2020, Ethiopian Midwives Association & St. Paul's Hospital Millennium-SPHMMC, Ethiopia
• 2020: Appreciation Certificate, Research and Leadership Committee, Midwifery College of Buenos Aires, Argentina
• 2018: Research Award Winner, International Confederation of Midwives, International
• 2015: Best Research Presenter Award, AMREEF Health Africa, Ethiopia