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Manifestation in Practice

When Kidist Dugassa was in medical school at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, her laptop background was a picture of a sprawling building with multicolored banners swaying over the entrance.

Each time she opened her computer, she was greeted by the iconic Wolfe Street Building, home of the Johns ��ѻ��ý. 

Even 10 years before she set foot on campus, she knew that the Bloomberg School was where she wanted to be.

“If I want something, I will get it,” said Dugassa, now an MSPH student in the Department of International Health. “I will work and achieve it. It’s my principle in life.”

Dugassa, who was born and raised in Ethiopia, grew up with her mother’s mantra that girls can accomplish as much as boys, if not more. Dugassa pushed herself to excel in education, with a dogged persistence that followed her all the way to med school. Dugassa was ready to be a doctor. 

"I wanted to be part of the solution... Nutrition is an integral part of treatment."

But when she began her internship rotations in different hospitals, Dugassa noticed a pattern. Patients with different metabolic diseases such as kidney failure, liver failure, and hypertension would be prescribed medication, but they often knew little about the importance of diet and exercise, which contributes to increased rates of disease. 

“I wanted to be part of the solution,” Dugassa said. “Nutrition is an integral part of treatment. We need to treat the root cause, not just the symptoms.” 

Dugassa focused on the importance of data-driven solutions for integrating nutrition into public health systems. But while she was still in medical school, the COVID-19 pandemic began. 

Dugassa began using her interests in data for public health outreach, health data analysis, and misinformation prevention. During that time, she was interviewed on TV, spoke to public health experts, and advocated for treatment. 

One of her main sources of COVID-19 information: the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dugassa would spend hours following the news and research coming out of the School and disseminating it in Ethiopia. 

Once COVID-19 cases finally began to lull in 2022, Dugassa—with her laptop background still set to the Bloomberg School—submitted her application to the Master of Science in Public Health program in International Health with a concentration in human nutrition. 

"I will never give up. I'm here at Johns Hopkins because I worked for it."

“I will never give up,” Dugassa said. “I’m here at Johns Hopkins because I worked for it.”

Dugassa moved from Ethiopia to Baltimore before the start of her program in August 2023. Since her arrival, she has worked as a Research Assistant at DataDENT to analyze national nutrition strategies and public health policies in LMICs. She also works with the Baltimore Urban Distribution App, which aims to connect store owners in low-income areas with healthy food suppliers. 

She also leads a Family Health Table at the Northeast Market Initiative to educate communities about genetic and non-genetic health concerns. She orients volunteers and community members to help increase health literacy, promote preventive healthcare measures, and empower individuals. 

Dugassa graduated in December 2024. Moving forward, she sees herself working as a health policy advisor or community health leader to reduce health disparities and promote disease prevention strategies.

“Nothing is impossible,” Dugassa said. “The only thing that you need is the mindset and the determination that you can make it.”