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Dr Mo Hammoud
Research Fellow

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

Medicine & Health
The Kirby Institute

Mo is the Group Leader for the Psychosocial Aspects of HIV Prevention Research Group. Situated within the HIV Epidemiology and Prevention Program at the Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, his program undertakes research to understand how mental health, alcohol and other drugs, and social networks impact HIV prevention norms among gay and bisexual men (GBM). With a specific focus on HIV treatment as prevention (TasP)/undetectable equals untransmissible (U=U) and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), Mohamed’s research brings together an interdisciplinary team to understand the complex social contexts that affect HIV prevention and the broader health and wellbeing of GBM.

Mo is also a Research Fellow within the HIV Epidemiology and Prevention Program at the Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney. His lead authored publications were used to inform an update to the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) PrEP Guidelines, and cited by the World Health Organization, the United Nation, the Australian Governments Ministry of Health Eights National HIV Strategy, NSW Ministry of Health HIV Strategy, and two NGO strategies on mental health and illicit drug use.

Broad Research Areas:

Sexuality and sexual identity; Mental health. Transmission and prevention of HIV other sexually transmissible infections; Gay men's health; Sexual behaviour. Drug use and misuse. Subcultural affiliation.
E-mail
mhammoud@kirby.unsw.edu.au

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

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.