Dr. Desalegn Begna is a lead researcher at the Agricultural and Rural Development Policy Study Center of the Policy Study Institute (PSI) in Ethiopia. He obtained his Ph.D. in genetics (proteomics) from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in 2012, focusing his research on the rearing of special types of economic insects. For over 22 years, Dr. Desalegn worked in various positions at the Oromia Agricultural Research Institute (OARI). From 2018 to 2020, he served as an assistant professor at Ambo University, where he taught MSc courses in animal genetics and breeding and advised student theses.

Since July 2020, Dr. Desalegn has been conducting policy research on the Ethiopian livestock sector. This work has included analyzing 20-year livestock growth trends and formulating the "Live Animal Export Policy" for the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration. He recently completed comprehensive research on the policies and institutional setups affecting the performance of the Ethiopian livestock sector, resulting in two policy briefs: "Enhancing Ethiopian Livestock Development through Institutional Enactments and Policy Factors" and "The Ethiopian Livestock Sector".

Currently, Dr. Desalegn’s research interests focus on various livestock policy issues, such as feed supply and demand, honey business, livestock and climate change adaptation, and the effects of institutional policies on livestock sector growth. He is the PSI coordinator in ANAPRI