Background

Megan is Deputy Program Director (Behaviours and Health Risks) at Burnet Institute. Her primary area of expertise is investigating the role of new communications technologies in public health. She has conducted extensive research into how these technologies (e.g. mobile phones, smartphone apps, and social networking sites) can be used for health promotion, as well as how these media can expose young people to health risks. Her work targets young people in Australia and developing countries, particularly in sexual health and alcohol.

Megan completed her PhD in 2008, with a thesis titled ‘Sex, Drugs, and Young People: Novel Research and Health Promotion Approaches’. She was then awarded an NHMRC Sidney Sax Fellowship to complete her postdoctoral research in infectious disease epidemiology at the University College London Research Department of Infection and Population Health.

In addition to her mHealth research, Megan works on a range of projects including surveillance of sexually transmitted infections and HIV, health promotion, and monitoring and evaluation. She has conducted research into tuberculosis and HIV mortality, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, viral hepatitis, influenza, sexual and reproductive health, and alcohol and other drug use. Since 2005, she has managed the Big Day Out Sex, Drugs and Rock ’n’ Roll study.

Appointments

• 2017: Deputy Program Director (Behaviours and Health Risks), Burnet Institute
• Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University
• Burnet Institute Honours program co-ordinator

Qualifications

• 2008: PhD, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
• 2003: Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Hons), Monash University, Australia

Projects (14)

Current (10)

• Children and teenagers' exposure to risk online and methods to reduce harm
  Understanding experiences of parenting children in the age of online technology and pornography.
• Fitspiration and Social Media
  “Fitspiration” promotes exercise and health, but emerging research shows this can impact body image.
• MIDY: The Mobile Intervention for Drinking in Young People (pilot)
  Testing a mobile phone-based intervention delivered during drinking events in young people.
• New media and technology in current health promotion practice
  Investigating new media/technology interventions in health promotion practice in Australia.
• Pornography and Young People
  Exploring trends in pornography use among young people in the Australian context.
• SCOPE - Social Connectivity: Online Perceptions and Experiences
  Encouraging young people to discuss with peers issues relating to technology, sex and relationships.
• Sex, Drugs, and Rock'n'Roll (Big Day Out Study)
  A landmark study since 2005 of young people's risk behaviours including sex, drug use and alcohol.
• Smart phone Apps for alcohol health promotion
  This pilot study aims to review and investigate the use of smart phone applications (apps) for alcohol-related health promotion.
• WHISPER and SHOUT - mHealth interventions among Kenyan sex workers
  Mobile phone-based health promotions sent to sex workers in Mombasa.
• Young Adults and Alcohol Study
  This study examines patterns of risky drinking in a cohort of young Melburnians.

Past (4)

• Alcohol advertising on social media
  Exploring young people’s opinions to inform future advertising policies and health promotion.
• Call Centre Impact Assessment for Marie Stopes International
  Development of a framework and testing at call centres in Mexico City.
• SEXT ME UR (.)(.) An investigation of the prevalence and practice of sexting among young Australians
  ‘Sexting’ is the sending of sexual content via phone or online. This project will examine how common sexting is among young Australians.
• Substance use and related harms among young people in the Solomon Islands
  Quantitative and qualitative research into youth substance use in the Solomon Islands.

Publications (71)

2017 (11)

• Anorectal swabs as a marker of male-to-male sexual exposure in STI surveillance systems.
  Ampt FH, El Hayek C, Agius PA, Bowring AL, Bartnik N, Van Gemert C, Fairley CK, Chow EPF, Bradshaw CS, Stephens N, Lim MSC, Hellard ME
  Epidemiol Infect. 2017 Sep; 145(12):2530-2535
• WHISPER or SHOUT study: protocol of a cluster-randomised controlled trial assessing mHealth sexual reproductive health and nutrition interventions among female sex workers in Mombasa, Kenya.
  Ampt FH, Mudogo C, Gichangi P, Lim MSC, Manguro G, Chersich M, Jaoko W, Temmerman M, Laini M, Comrie-Thomson L, Stoové M, Agius PA, Hellard M, L'Engle K, Luchters S
  BMJ Open. 2017 Aug; 7(8):e017388
• Alcohol and other substance use among a sample of young people in the Solomon Islands.
  Quinn B, Peach E, Wright CJC, Lim MSC, Davidson L, Dietze P
  Aust N Z J Public Health. 2017 Aug; 41(4):358-364
• Young Australians' use of pornography and associations with sexual risk behaviours.
  Lim MSC, Agius PA, Carrotte ER, Vella AM, Hellard ME
  Aust N Z J Public Health. 2017 Aug; 41(4):438-443
• "Just not all ice users do that": investigating perceptions and potential harms of Australia's Ice Destroys Lives campaign in two studies.
  Douglass CH, Early EC, Wright CJC, Palmer A, Higgs P, Quinn B, Dietze PM, Lim MSC
  Harm Reduct J. 2017 Jul; 14(1):45
• Beyond basic feedback in mobile brief interventions: Designing SMS message content for delivery to young adults during risky drinking events.
  Wright CJC, Dietze PM, Lim MSC
  JMIR mHealth uHealth. 2017 Jun; 5(6):e79
• An ecological momentary intervention to reduce alcohol consumption in young adults delivered during drinking events: Protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.
  Wright CJ, Dietze PM, Agius PA, Kuntsche E, Room R, Livingston M, Hellard M, Lim MS
  JIMR Research Protocols. 2017 May; 6(5):e95
• Correlates of sexually transmissible infection testing among a sample of at-risk young Australians.
  Douglass CH, Vella AM, Hellard ME, Lim MSC
  Aust J Prim Health. 2017 Apr; 23(3):272-277
• Cohort Profile: The Flu Watch Study.
  Fragaszy EB, Warren-Gash C, Wang L, Copas A, Dukes O, Edmunds WJ, Goonetilleke N, Harvey G, Johnson AM, Kovar J, Lim MS, McMichael A, Millett ER, Nazareth I, Nguyen-Van-Tam JS, Tabassum F, Watson JM, Wurie F, Zambon M, Hayward AC and the Flu Watch Group
  Int J Epidemiol. 2017 Apr; 46(2):e18
• "Fitspiration" on Social Media: A Content Analysis of Gendered Images.
  Carrotte ER, Prichard I, Lim MS
  J Med Internet Res. 2017 Mar; 19(3):e95
• Correlates of alcohol consumption on heavy drinking occasions of young risky drinkers: event versus personal characteristics.
  Dietze P, Agius PA, Livingston M, Callinan S, Jenkinson R, Lim MS, Wright CJ, Room R
  Addiction. 2017 Mar; 112(8): 1369-1377

2016 (11)

• Safe sex messages within dating and entertainment smartphone apps: A review.
  Huang ET, Williams H, Hocking JS, Lim MS.
  JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2016 Nov; 4(4):e124
• Exploring attitudes towards sexting of young people: a cross-sectional study.
  Lim MS, Vella AM, Horyniak DR, Hellard ME
  Sexual Health. 2016 Oct; 13(6):530-535
• Who 'likes' alcohol? Young Australians' engagement with alcohol marketing via social media and related alcohol consumption patterns.
  Carrotte ER, Dietze PM, Wright CJ, Lim MS
  Aust N Z J Public Health. 2016 Sep; 40(5):474-479
• "I am yet to encounter any survey that actually reflects my life": a qualitative study of inclusivity in sexual health research.
  Carrotte ER, Vella AM, Bowring AL, Douglass C, Hellard ME, Lim MS
  BMC Med Res Methodol. 2016 Jul; 16(1):86
• "Googling" for Cancer: An Infodemiological Assessment of Online Search Interests in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
  Foroughi F, Lam AK, Lim MSC, Saremi N, Ahmadvand A
  JMIR Cancer. 2016 May; 2(1):e5
• An investigation of strategies used in alcohol brand marketing and alcohol-related health promotion on Facebook.
  Lim MS, Hare JD, Carrotte ER, Dietze PM
  Digital Health. 2016 Apr; 2:1-7
• Participatory development of MIDY (Mobile Intervention for Drinking in Young people).
  Wright CJ, Dietze PM, Crockett B, Lim MS
  BMC Public Health. 2016 Feb; 16(1):184
• 'A Drink That Makes You Feel Happier, Relaxed and Loving': Young People's Perceptions of Alcohol Advertising on Facebook.
  Weaver ER, Wright CJ, Dietze PM, Lim MS
  Alcohol Alcohol. 2016 Jan; 51(4):481-486
• Mental Health and Associated Sexual Health Behaviours in a Sample of Young People Attending a Music Festival in Melbourne, Victoria.
  Carrotte ER, Vella AM, Hellard ME, Lim MS
  Community Ment Health J. 2016 Jan; 52(8):1082-1088
• The impact of pornography on gender-based violence, sexual health and well-being: what do we know?
  Lim MS, Carrotte ER, Hellard ME
  J Epidemiol Community Health. 2016 Jan; 70(1):3-5
• Challenges to translating new media interventions in community practice: a sexual health SMS program case study.
  Wright CJ, Leinberger K, Lim MS
  Health Promot J Austr. 2016 Jan; 27(1):70-73

2015 (7)

• A verbal invitation and specimen collection on the spot are crucial to maximise sexually transmissible infection testing uptake in non-traditional settings.
  Hocking JS, Goller JL, Lim MS
  Sex Health. 2015 Dec; 12(6):469-471
• Development and pilot of a framework to evaluate reproductive health call centre services: experience of Marie Stopes international.
  Yagnik P, Gold J, Stoove M, Reichwein B, van Gemert C, Corby N, Lim MS
  BMC Health Serv Res. 2015 Sep; 15(1):398
• Predictors of "Liking" Three Types of Health and Fitness-Related Content on Social Media: A Cross-Sectional Study.
  Carrotte ER, Vella AM, Lim MS
  J Med Internet Res. 2015 Aug; 17(8):e205
• Sexual identity, same-sex partners and risk behaviour among a community-based sample of young people in Australia.
  Bowring AL, Vella AM, Degenhardt L, Hellard M, Lim MS
  Int J Drug Policy. 2015 Feb; 26(2):153-161
• Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge, Contraception Uptake, and Factors Associated with Unmet Need for Modern Contraception among Adolescent Female Sex Workers in China.
  Lim MS, Zhang XD, Kennedy E, Li Y, Yang Y, Li L, Li YX, Temmerman M, Luchters S
  PLoS One. 2015 Jan; 10(1):e0115435
• 'Ice epidemic'? Trends in methamphetamine use from three Victorian surveillance systems.
  Lim MS, Cogger S, Quinn B, Hellard ME, Dietze PM
  Aust N Z J Public Health. 2015 Jan; 39(2):194-195
• Young people's comparative recognition and recall of an Australian Government Sexual Health Campaign.
  Lim MS, Gold J, Bowring AL, Pedrana AE, Hellard ME
  Int J STD AIDS. 2015 Jan; 26(6):398-401

2014 (9)

• Timing, rates, and causes of death in a large South African tuberculosis programme.
  Field N, Lim M, Murray J, Dowdeswell RJ, Glynn JR, Sonnenberg P
  BMC Infect Dis. 2014 Dec; 14(1):679
• Young risk takers: Alcohol, illicit drugs, and sexual practices among a sample of music festival attendees.
  Jenkinson R, Bowring A, Dietze P, Hellard M, Lim MSC
  J Sex Trans Dis. 2014 Dec; 2014:e357239
• The medium and the message: fitting sound health promotion methodology into 160 characters.
  Lim MS, Wright C, Hellard ME
  JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2014 Nov; 2(4):e40
• Early age at first sex: associations with sexual health and sociodemographic factors among a sample of young music festival attendees in Melbourne.
  Vella AM, Agius PA, Bowring AL, Hellard ME, Lim MS
  Sex Health. 2014 Aug; 11(4):359-365
• Prevalence, correlates, and attitudes towards sexting among young people in Melbourne, Australia
  Yeung T, Horyniak D, Vella A, Hellard M, Lim M
  Sex Healtrh. 2014 Jul; 11(4):332-339
• Analysis of laboratory testing results collected in an enhanced chlamydia surveillance system in Australia, 2008-2010.
  Dimech W, Lim MS, Van Gemert C, Guy R, Boyle D, Donovan B, Hellard M
  BMC Infect Dis. 2014 Jun; 14(1):325
• Young people's comfort receiving sexual health information via social media and other sources.
  Lim MS, Vella A, Sacks-Davis R, Hellard ME
  Int J STD AIDS. 2014 Mar; 25(14):1003-1008
• Trends in chlamydia positivity among heterosexual patients from the Victorian Primary Care Network for Sentinel Surveillance, 2007-2011.
  Lim MS, El-Hayek C, Goller JL, Fairley CK, Nguyen PL, Hamilton RA, Henning DJ, McNamee KM, Hellard ME, Stoove MA
  Med J Aust. 2014 Feb; 200(3):166-169
• Comparative burden and severity of seasonal and pandemic influenza: Results of the Flu Watch study – England 2006-2011.
  Hayward AC, Fragaszy E, Bermingham A, Wang L, Copas A, Edmunds J, Ferguson N, Goonetilleke N, Harvey G, Kovar J, Lim MSC, Millet ERC, Pebody R, Nguyen-Van-Tam JS, McMichael A, Nazareth I, Watson JM, Johnson AM, Zambon M and the Flu Watch Group.
  Lancet Respir J. 2014 Feb; 2(6):445-454

2013 (2)

• “Let’s Get Wasted!” and Other Apps: Characteristics, Acceptability, and Use of Alcohol-Related Smartphone Applications
  Weaver ER, Horyniak DR Jenkinson R, Dietze P, Lim MSC
  JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2013 Feb; 1(1):E9
• Is rectal gonorrhoea a lead indicator of HIV transmission among men who have sex with men in Victoria, Australia?
  Wilkinson AL, Lim MS, Stoové M, Fairley CK, Chen M, El-Hayek C, Denham I, Hellard M
  Sex Health. 2013 Jan; 10(2):188-189

2012 (6)

• Measuring the accuracy of self-reported height and weight in a community-based sample of young people.
  Bowring AL, Peeters A, Freak-Poli R, Lim MS, Gouillou M, Hellard M
  BMC Med Res Methodol. 2012 Nov; 12(1):175
• Quantifying errors in the estimation of tuberculosis mortality in a population of South African miners.
  P Sonnenberg, M S C Lim, R J Dowdeswell, N Field, J R Glynn, J Murray
  Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2012 Nov; 16(11):1449-1454
• Trends in sexual behavior, testing, and knowledge in young people; 2006-2011.
  Lim MS, Bowring AL, Gold J, Aitken CK, Hellard ME
  Sex Transm Dis. 2012 Nov; 39(11):831-834
• Public-Private Partnerships for Health Promotion: The Experiences of the S5 Project.
  Gold J, Hellard ME, Lim MS, Dixon H, Wakefield M, Aitken CK.
  Amer J Health Educat. 2012 Aug; 43(4):250-53
• Correlates of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in a primary care sentinel surveillance network.
  Lim MS, Goller JL, Guy R, Gold J, Stoové M, Hocking JS, Fairley CK, Henning D, McNamee K, Owen L, Sheehan P, Hellard ME
  Sex Health. 2012 Jul; 9(3):247-253
• Impact of text and email messaging on the sexual health of young people: a randomised controlled trial.
  Lim MS, Hocking JS, Aitken CK, Fairley CK, Jordan L, Lewis JA, Hellard ME
  J Epidemiol Community Health. 2012 Jan; 66(1):69-74

2011 (6)

• Unnatural deaths in South African platinum miners, 1992-2008.
  Megan S C Lim, Jill Murray, Robert J Dowdeswell, Judith R Glynn, Pam Sonnenberg
  PLoS One. 2011 Sep; 6(9):e22807
• Impact evaluation of a youth sexually transmissible infection awareness campaign using routinely collected data sources.
  Gold J, Goller J, Hellard M, Lim MS, Hocking J, Fairley CK, Spelman T, McNamee K, Clift P, Guy R
  Sex Health. 2011 Jun; 8(2):234-241
• Determining the impact of text messaging for sexual health promotion to young people.
  Gold J, Lim MS, Hocking JS, Keogh LA, Spelman T, Hellard ME
  Sex Transm Dis. 2011 Apr; 38(4):247-252
• A randomised controlled trial using mobile advertising to promote safer sex and sun safety to young people.
  Gold J, Aitken CK, Dixon HG, Lim MS, Gouillou M, Spelman T, Wakefield M, Hellard ME
  Health Educ Res. 2011 Mar
• What's your "porn star" name? A novel method of identifying research participants.
  Lim MS, Bowring A, Gold J, Hellard ME
  Sex Transm Dis. 2011 Feb; 38(2):150-151
• Chilean miners: raising awareness of the plight of miners worldwide.
  Nigel Field, Jill Murray, Megan Lim, Judith Glynn, Pam Sonnenberg
  Lancet. 2011 Jan; 377(9762):299-300

2010 (5)

• What's in a message? Delivering sexual health promotion to young people in Australia via text messaging.
  Gold J, Lim MS, Hellard ME, Hocking JS, Keogh LA
  BMC Public Health. 2010 Dec; 10:792
• Establishing a linked sentinel surveillance system for blood-borne viruses and sexually transmissible infections: methods, system attributes and early findings.
  Goller JL, Guy RJ, Gold J, Lim MS, El-Hayek C, Stoové MA, Bergeri I, Fairley CK, Leslie DE, Clift P, White B, Hellard ME
  Sex Health. 2010 Dec; 7(4):425-433
• Randomised controlled trial of paper, online and SMS diaries for collecting sexual behaviour information from young people.
  Lim MS, Sacks-Davis R, Aitken CK, Hocking JS, Hellard ME
  J Epidemiol Community Health. 2010 Oct; 64(10):885-889
• Does the frequency of HIV and STI testing among men who have sex with men in primary care adhere with Australian guidelines?
  Guy R, Goller JL, Spelman T, El-Hayek C, Gold J, Lim M, Leslie D, Tee BK, Roth N, Anderson J, Fairley CK, Kaldor J, Hellard M
  Sex Transm Infect. 2010 Oct; 86(5):371-376
• Surveillance of drug use among young people attending a music festival in Australia, 2005-2008.
  Lim MS, Sacks-Davis R, Aitken CK, Hocking JS, Hellard ME
  Drug Alcohol Rev. 2010 Mar; 29(2):150-156

2009 (2)

• Surveillance of STI risk behaviour among young people attending a music festival in Australia, 2005-08.
  Lim MS, Hellard ME, Aitken CK, Hocking JS
  Aust N Z J Public Health. 2009 Oct; 33(5):482-484
• Discrepancies between young people's self-reported sexual experience and their perceptions of 'normality'.
  Lim MS, Aitken CK, Hocking JS, Hellard ME
  Sex Health. 2009 Jun; 6(2):171-172

2008 (4)

• Using a surveillance system to identify and treat newly acquired hepatitis C infection.
  Walsh N, Lim M, Hellard M
  J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Dec; 23(12):1891-1894
• A cross-sectional survey of young people attending a music festival: associations between drug use and musical preference.
  Lim MS, Hellard ME, Hocking JS, Aitken CK
  Drug Alcohol Rev. 2008 Jul; 27(4):439-441
• Enhanced case detection for newly acquired hepatitis C infection: epidemiological findings and health service implications.
  Guy R, Devadason D, Lim M, Higgins N, Pedrana A, Gibson K, Lewis J, Spelman T, White B, Kaldor J, Hellard M
  Commun Dis Intell. 2008 Jun; 32(2):250-256
• SMS STI: a review of the uses of mobile phone text messaging in sexual health.
  Lim MS, Hocking JS, Hellard ME, Aitken CK
  Int J STD AIDS. 2008 May; 19(5):287-290

2007 (3)

• A new surveillance system for monitoring HIV infection in Victoria, Australia.
  Guy R, Lim MSC, Wang YH, Medland N, Anderson J, Rothe N, Hellard ME
  Sex Health. 2007 Sep; 4(3):195-199
• Sexual-risk behaviour, self-perceived risk and knowledge of sexually transmissible infections among young Australians attending a music festival.
  Lim MS, Hellard ME, Aitken CK, Hocking JS
  Sex Health. 2007 Mar; 4(1):51-56
• Blood-borne viruses and risk behaviours among injecting drug users recruited from needle and syringe programs in Victoria's eastern metropolitan region
  Lim MS, Sundaram K, Aitken CK, Hellard ME
  Aust J Prim Health. 2007 Jan; 13(3):69-76

2006 (4)

• Chlamydia testing in general practice - a survey of Victorian general practitioners.
  Hocking JS, Lim MS, Vidanapathirana J, Read TR, Hellard M
  Sex Health. 2006 Dec; 3(4):241-244
• Acute Hepatitis C treatment Uptake in the Victorian Population.
  Walsh N, Lim M, Nguyen O, Von Bibra S, Dore G, and Hellard M
  18th Annual Conference. 2006 Oct; Abstract page 153
• Postal surveys of physicians gave superior response rates over telephone interviews in a randomized trial.
  Hocking JS, Lim MS, Read T, Hellard M
  J Clin Epidemiol. 2006 May; 59(5):521-524
• A profile of HIV testing in Victoria, 1984 to 2004.
  Lim M, Guy R, Hellard M
  Commun Dis Intell. 2006 Jan; 30(3):366-372

2005 (1)

• The case of the disappearing teaspoons: longitudinal cohort study of the displacement of teaspoons in an Australian research institute.
  Lim MSC, Hellard ME, Aitken CK
  BMJ. 2005 Dec; 331(7531):1498-1500

News Articles (32)

2017 (5)

• Burnet study adapted to target student risky drinking
• Pornography the norm for young Australians
• Dr Megan Lim a Club Melbourne Fellowship finalist
• World Health Day focus on depression
• 2017 Sex, Drugs, and Rock'n'Roll survey

2016 (8)

• NHMRC grants for Burnet researchers
• Burnet projects in VicHealth finals
• Survey reveals pornography's mixed impacts
• Sexting, Pornography and Australian youth
• Harmful drinking gets personal
• IWD reflections
• 2016 Sex, Drugs, and Rock‘n’Roll survey is 'live'
• World-first project seeks funding

2015 (7)

• 2015 in Review: January - June
• Burnet Travel Awards
• Award for Sexual Health research
• SCOPE casts light on social media
• Youth survey challenges expectations
• Burnet celebrates International Women's Day
• Dame Carol Kidu Patron for HMHB

2014 (7)

• 2014 In Review: July - December
• Burnet studies shed light on sexual behaviour of teenagers
• Study shows sexting has become commonplace among youth
• AIDS 2014: Burnet Institute research showcased
• Burnet celebrates International Women's Day
• Burnet celebrates 10 years at Big Day Out
• Social media’s role in health

2013 (5)

• Travel awards presented to outstanding young researchers
• Alcohol-related smartphone apps wildly inaccurate
• Burnet finds 40 per cent of young Victorians have sexted in the past 12 months
• Burnet researcher awarded preventive health fellowship
• BDO study: Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n Roll - biggest ever!