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Dr Mo Hammoud
Doctor of Philosophy
UNSW Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity in Society.
Thesis title: Emerging practices and the potential to change HIV epidemiological trends: HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a harm reduction strategy among gay and bisexual men who engage in chemsex.
Awards:
- 2020: Dean’s Award for Outstanding PhD Thesis. Dean of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney.
Thesis accepted without revision and received the highest rating in all examination criteria. - 2020: Postgraduate Student Prize Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney.
Most outstanding first-author paper by a Kirby Institute student in a peer-reviewed journal in the area of infectious diseases.
Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)
Western Sydney University. MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development.
Thesis title: Can episodic memory influence the initial stage of visual word recognition?
Awards:
- 2011: Deans Merit Award for outstanding grades
- 2012: Deans Merit Award for outstanding grades
Bachelor of Information Technology (Software Engineering)
Western Sydney University.
Epidemiology & Statistics for Public Health
UNSW Sydney
Introduction to Biostatistics
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney
Peer Mentoring Program
UNSW Sydney
NIDA Presenting with Confidence
NIDA Corporate
NVIVO Certified Advanced User
QSR International
Mental Health First Aid
Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, University of Melbourne
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Certificate
Lifeline Australia
Dr Mo Hammoud has been with the Kirby Institute, within the Faculty of Medicine and Health at UNSW Sydney, since 2013. He is a Senior Research Fellow in the HIV Epidemiology and Prevention Program and the Research Group Leader for the LGBTQ+ Population Health Research Group. His research focuses on the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ communities, specifically addressing emerging infectious diseases, sexual health, mental health, and substance use.
Mo leads an interdisciplinary team that conducts research aimed at influencing health policy. His leadership extends to supervising higher degree researchers, guiding the next generation of scientists in LGBTQ+ population health. His contributions have been instrumental in updating the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) PrEP Guidelines and have been cited by the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and various Australian government and NGO strategies concerning mental health and illicit drug use.
His current projects include monitoring the uptake and real-world effectiveness of mpox vaccines among high-risk populations, and investigating health disparities within the LGBTQ+ population in Australia.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
NHMRC Partnership Project
Implementing population-specific psychosocial interventions to optimise treatment, care and support among men who have sex with men who use methamphetamine
NSW Health BRISE
Impact of COVID-19 on HIV, STI, and mental health among gay and bisexual men in Australia.
Gilead Sciences Australia: Fellowship Research Grant
Non-uptake of PrEP among PrEP-eligible men in the Flux Study
NSW Health: Prevention Research Support Program
Behavioural Prevention of Infectious Diseases
Department of Health: Drug and Alcohol Program
A pilot study for an online cohort of drug use, mental and physical health among lesbian, bisexual and queer women.
Kirby Institute Emerging Investigators Grant
Measuring event-level chemsex and their associated harms among Australian gay and bisexual: A pilot study
2021 Dean’s Award for Outstanding PhD Theses
The Dean’s Award for Outstanding PhD Theses recognises PhD graduates who have been commended by their thesis examiners.
2020 Kirby Institute Postgraduate Student Prize
Most outstanding first author paper by a Kirby Institute student in a peer-reviewed journal
Full conference scholarship
International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections, Dublin, Ireland
Earlier Career Scientific Researcher Award - Stream C
Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM)
Full scholarship to attend the 20th International AIDS Conference, Melbourne, Australia
Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM)
Deans Merit Award for outstanding grades in 2011 and 2012
Western Sydney University
Group Leader, Psychosocial Aspects of HIV Prevention Group
Advisory Groups
- Kirby Institute Strategic Advisory Group
- NSW Ministry of Health HIV Data Advisory Group
- NSW HIV Prevention Partnership Project HIV Prevention Working Group
- NSW HIV Prevention Partnership Project HIV Stigma Working Group
- HIV Prevention during COVID-19 Reference Group
Society Memberships & Professional Activities
- ACON Human Research Ethics Review Committee
In the media
- ABC National News: PrEP anti-HIV medication use declines in Australia amid COVID-19 pandemic
- The Guardian: Amyl nitrite: Australia's ban on poppers is an attack on gay and bisexual men
- Australian Doctor News: Pandemic leads to drop in casual gay sex
- Form Press: PrEP anti-HIV medication use declines in Australia amid COVID-19 pandemic
- Pink News: Eye-opening study reveals just how many queer men have been hooking up through lockdown
- QNews: Gay Aussies’ PrEP use plunges during COVID-19 pandemic
- Pozhet: Impact of COVID-19 on sexual behaviour and PrEP use
- Daily Mercury: Study looks into gay men's behaviour during pandemic
- Star Observer: 84% drop in casual sex improves HIV outcomes?
- QNews: Aussie gay men report less casual sex during COVID-19
- Medical Xpress: Gay and bisexual men who use HIV prevention pill PrEP have lower anxiety
- NAM AIDSmap: COVID-19 has had a major impact on PrEP, sexual behaviour and service provision
- NAM AIDSmap: Top 10 articles on HIV prevention from AIDS 2020
- QNews: Aussie gay men on PrEP suffer less anxiety, study finds
- National AIDS Treatment Advocacy Project (NATAP): With COVID here, 905 of Australian MSM have less sex, 40% stop PrEP
- Pink Advocate: Experts urge resuming PrEP use following pandemic lockdown
- scimex: Gay and bisexual men who use HIV prevention pill ‘PrEP’ have lower anxiety
- National AIDS Treatment Advocacy Project (NATAP): One Third in US Stopped PrEP During COVID Shutdown, 90% Trimmed HIV Risk
- Out in Perth: New research shows people on PrEP have lower anxiety about HIV
- Instinct Magazine: Researchers Share There Is A Silver Lining With Steep Decline In Hookups
- Queerty: It’s official: gays having less sex due to COVID-19
- Mamba Online: Gay and bi men say they’re having less casual sex during Covid-19 pandemic
- Gayety: COVID-19 Causes 84% Drop in Hookups Among Gay Men
- Star Observer: Resume PrEP, urge community leaders
- ECon: Tall sex, low danger: exactly How gay and bisexual males whom utilize medications are protecting by themselves from HIV
- American Journal of Managed Care: PrEP Use Has Changed Following Implementation of Social Distancing Measures
- Pink News: New study finds the obvious, that PrEP can be good for mental health as well as physical health
- Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM): Methamphetamine and HIV
- Gay Health: Gay men who use HIV prevention pill PrEP have lower anxiety
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HIV (ATSIHIV): High sex low risk how gay and bisexual men who use drugs are protecting themselves from HIV
- Observatoriog: Gays estão transando menos por conta do coronavírus, afirma pesquisa
- Observatoriog: Pesquisa revela que sexo gay durante a pandemia está em queda
- VIH: AIDS 2018 - La conférence internationale d’Amsterdam
- VIH: AIDS 2018 - La Prep dans la vraie vie, effets divers
My Research Supervision
Jack Freestone: Exploring sexualised drug use among LGBTQ populations and examining the impact peer led interventions to address related harms
Bernard Saliba: Arab and Gay: The impact of stigmatised identities on social connectedness and health outcomes of young gay and bisexual men of Arabic-speaking backgrounds.