Background

Dr Alisa Pedrana is recognised as one of Australia’s emerging public health researchers, with a significant track record in HIV and sexual health research and epidemiology, and the application of information communication technology for health promotion.

After completing her PhD in 2012, which focused on better understanding HIV risk and addressing current barriers to testing for gay men in Australia, she moved to Indonesia to take up her Postdoctoral Research Fellow Position at Harvard School of Public Health with Dr Anuraj Shankar.

Her research interests focus on undertaking innovative epidemiological and public health research, and blood-borne virus epidemiology and health promotion with particular interests in mHealth and exploring how to adapt and apply new technologies for health communication and health system strengthening.

Appointments

• 2014 -2017: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health
• 2014 – present: Adjunct Research Fellow, Monash University
• 2012 – present: Research Fellow: Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute

Positions

• 2016: EC Partnership Coordinator, Burnet Institute
• 2014 - present: Visiting Research Fellow, SUMMIT Institute of Development
• 2013 - present: ICT and Evaluation Advisor, Jhpiego
• 2012 - present: Visiting Research Fellow and mHealth Advisor, RTI Indonesia

Qualifications

• 2012: PhD Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
• 2005: BA Biomedical Science (Hons), Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
• 2004: BA Biomedical Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Awards

• 2014-2017: National Health and Medical Research Council, Early Career Fellowship
• 2013: Monash University Outstanding Support of Peers Award – PhD
• 2013: Monash University Bridging Postdoctoral Fellowship
• 2012: Endeavour Executive Award Holder
• 2012: Scholarship Recipient for the International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections Conference
• 2012: Monash Postgraduate Publications Award
• 2011: Monash University Postgraduate Travel Grant Award
• 2009: National Health and Medical Research Council Postgraduate Scholarship Award
• 2009: Sidney Myer Health Scholarship Award
• 2009: Burnet Institute Public Health Travel Award
• 2009: Best Oral Presentation: HIV Prevention, Australasian Society for HIV Medicine Australasian HIV/AIDS Conference
• 2005: Runner Up; VicHealth Health Promotion Project Award

Projects (9)

Current (3)

• EC Partnership: Eliminate Hepatitis C Partnership
  Informing the elimination of HCV through a community-based nurse-led model of care and treatment.
• PRONTO! Rapid HIV point-of-care testing in Victoria
  The first rapid HIV test service in Victoria targeting gay men and men who have sex with men.
• Rapid-EC hepatitis C Pilot Study
  Investigating the feasibility of providing rapid point-of-care testing for hepatitis C in community clinics.

Past (6)

• COUNT: Community-based undiagnosed infection and HIV testing study
  Identifying undiagnosed HIV infection among Australian gay men while delivering HIV testing.
• FaceSpace: Using social networking to promote safer sex to higher risk groups
  This project aims to use social networking to deliver health messages to higher risk groups.
• Friendly HIV services for young key populations in Bandung, Indonesia
  A pilot project to increase testing and decrease new HIV infections in Bandung.
• HIV Prevention Initiatives Evaluation
  An initiative to reduce HIV/STI risk behaviours as well as increasing health seeking behaviours among homosexually active gay men.
• SMS for Health: An acceptability trial of SMS to deliver adolescent sexual and reproductive health and anti-smoking messages to young people in Indonesia
  The trial is investigating whether communication technologies can be used to improve sexual and reproductive health knowledge and awareness, access and utilisation of services, and improve awareness of harms related to smoking, in Indonesia.
• Social networking sites for sexual health promotion: a review
  Identifying strategies for the use of social networking websites in sexual health promotion.

Publications (31)

2017 (4)

• Acceptability and HIV prevention benefits of a peer-based model of rapid point of care HIV testing for Australian gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
  Leitinger D, Ryan KE, Brown G, Pedrana A, Wilkinson AL, Ryan C, Hellard M, Stoové M
  AIDS Behav. 2017 Aug; Epub ahead of print
• Reaching hepatitis C virus elimination targets requires health system interventions to enhance the care cascade.
  Scott N, Doyle JS, Wilson DP, Wade A, Howell J, Pedrana A, Thompson A, Hellard ME
  Int J Drug Policy. 2017 Aug; Epub ahead of print
• Declining prevalence of undiagnosed HIV in Melbourne: results from community-based bio-behavioural studies of gay and bisexual men.
  Stoové M, Asselin J, Pedrana A, Lea T, Hellard M, Wilson D, Prestage G, de Wit J, Holt M
  Aust N Z J Public Health. 2017 Jul; Epub ahead of print
• Targeted direct-acting antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis C: a financial reality or an obstacle to elimination?
  Hellard M, Pedrana A, Scott N
  J Hepatol. 2017 Feb; 66(2):270-272

2016 (3)

• A longitudinal cohort study of HIV 'treatment as prevention' in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men: the Treatment with Antiretrovirals and their Impact on Positive And Negative men (TAIPAN) study protocol.
  Callander D, Stoové M, Carr A, Hoy JF, Petoumenos K, Hellard M, Elliot J, Templeton DJ, Liaw S, Wilson DP, Grulich A, Cooper DA, Pedrana A, Donovan B, McMahon J, Prestage G, Holt M, Fairley CK, McKellar-Stewart N, Ruth S, Asselin J, Keen P, Cooper C, Allan B, Kaldor JM, Guy R
  BMC Infect Dis. 2016 Dec; 16(1):752
• Characteristics of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men testing and retesting at Australia’s first shop-front rapid point-of-care HIV testing service.
  Ryan KE, Wilkinson AL, Leitinger D, El-Hayek C, Ryan C, Pedrana A, Hellard M, Stoové M
  Sex Health. 2016 Aug; 13(6):560-567
• The Impact of a Social Marketing Campaign on HIV and Sexually Transmissible Infection Testing Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Australia.
  Wilkinson AL, Pedrana AE, El-Hayek C, Vella AM, Asselin J, Batrouney C, Fairley CK, Read TR, Hellard M, Stoové M
  Sex Transm Dis. 2016 Jan; 43(1):49-56

2015 (3)

• Successes in sexual health communications development, programmatic implementation and evaluation in the Torres Strait region 2006 to 2012.
  Fagan PS, Robertson HK, Pedrana AE, Raulli A, Crouch AA
  Aust N Z J Public Health. 2015 Jun; 39(3):270-276
• The use of social networking platforms for sexual health promotion: identifying key strategies for successful user engagement.
  Veale HJ, Sacks-Davis R, Weaver ERN, Pedrana AE, Stoové MA, Hellard ME
  BMC Public Health. 2015 Feb; 15(1):85
• 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 (6)

• Effects of HIV antiretroviral therapy on sexual and injecting risk-taking behaviour: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
  Doyle JS, Degenhardt L, Pedrana AE, McBryde ES, Guy R, Stoové MA, Weaver E, Grulich AE, Lo YR, Hellard M
  Clin Infect Dis. 2014 Aug; 59(10):1483-1494
• PRONTO! Community-Based HIV Rapid Testing Evaluation Report - Stage 1.
  Ryan K, Leitinger D, Pedrana A, Wilkinson A, Stoové M
  Report for the Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute: Melbourne, Australia. 2014 Jul
• Outcome evaluation of HIV prevention initiatives 2012 – 2013 in men who have sex with men in Victoria.
  Vella A., Wilkinson A., Pedrana, A., Stoové, M
  Technical Report for Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute: Melbourne, Australia. 2014 Jul
• Moving towards HIV treatment as prevention.
  Stoové MA, Pedrana AE, Hellard ME
  Microbiol Aust. 2014 May; 35(2):88-90
• No Drama: Key Elements to the Success of an HIV/STI-Prevention Mass-Media Campaign.
  Pedrana AE, Hellard ME, Higgs P, Asselin J, Batrouney C, Stoové M
  Qual Health Res. 2014 Apr; 24(5):695-705
• Making the most of a brave new world: Opportunities and considerations for using Twitter as a public health monitoring tool.
  Stoové MA, Pedrana AE
  Prev Med. 2014 Mar; 63:109-111

2013 (4)

• High rates of hepatitis C virus reinfection and spontaneous clearance of reinfection in people who inject drugs: a prospective cohort study.
  Sacks-Davis R, Aitken CK, Higgs P, Spelman T, Pedrana AE, Bowden S, Bharadwaj M, Nivarthi UK, Suppiah V, George J, Grebely J, Drummer HE, Hellard M
  PLoS One. 2013 Nov; 8(11):e80216
• Sexual Health Promotion on Social Networking Sites: A Process Evaluation of the FaceSpace Project.
  Nguyen P, Gold J, Pedrana A, Chang S, Howard S, Ilic O, Hellard M, Stoové M
  J Adolesc Health. 2013 Apr; 53(1):98-104
• Increases in newly acquired HIV infections in Victoria, Australia: epidemiological evidence of successful prevention?
  Feigin A, El-Hayek C, Hellard M, Pedrana A, Donnan E, Fairley C, Tee BK, Stoové M
  Sex Health. 2013 Apr; 10(2):166-170
• Queer as F**k: Reaching and Engaging Gay Men in Sexual Health Promotion through Social Networking Sites.
  Pedrana A, Hellard M, Gold J, Ata N, Chang S, Howard S, Asselin J, Ilic O, Batrouney C, Stoové M
  J Med Internet Res. 2013 Feb; 15(2):e25

2012 (5)

• Stop the Drama Downunder: A Social Marketing Campaign Increases HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infection Knowledge and Testing in Australian Gay Men.
  Pedrana A, Hellard M, Guy R, El-Hayek C, Gouillou M, Asselin J, Batrouney C, Nguyen P, Stoovè M
  Sex Transm Dis. 2012 Aug; 39(8):651-658
• Mobile safe injecting facilities in Barcelona and Berlin.
  Dietze P, Winter R, Pedrana A, Leicht A, Majó I Roca X, Brugal MT.
  Int J Drug Policy. 2012 Mar; 23(4):257-260
• Developing health promotion interventions on social networking sites: recommendations from The FaceSpace Project.
  Gold J, Pedrana AE, Stoové MA, Chang S, Howard S, Asselin J, Ilic O, Batrouney C, Hellard ME
  J Med Internet Res. 2012 Feb; 14(1):e30
• High rates of undiagnosed HIV infections in a community sample of gay men in Melbourne, Australia.
  Pedrana AE, Hellard ME, Wilson K, Guy R, Stoové M
  JAIDS. 2012 Jan; 59(1):94-99
• The difference in self-reported and biological measured HIV prevalence: Implications for HIV prevention.
  Pedrana AE, Hellard ME, Guy R, Wilson K, Stoové M
  AIDS Behav. 2012 Jan; 16(6):1454-1463

2011 (1)

• A systematic examination of the use of Online social networking sites for sexual health promotion.
  Gold J, Pedrana AE, Sacks-Davis R, Hellard ME, Chang S, Howard S, Keogh L, Hocking JS, Stoové MA
  BMC Public Health. 2011 Jul; 11:583

2010 (1)

• The changing age distribution of men who have sex with men diagnosed with HIV in Victoria.
  El-Hayek C, Bergeri I, Hellard ME, Pedrana AE, Higgins N, Breschkin A, Stoové M
  Med J Aust. 2010 Dec; 193(11-12):655-658

2009 (1)

• Antenatal screening practice for infectious diseases by general practitioners in Australia.
  Giles ML, Pedrana A, Jones C, Garland S, Hellard M, Lewin SR
  Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2009 Feb; 49(1):39-44

2008 (3)

• Registered post achieved a higher response rate than normal mail--a randomized controlled trial.
  Pedrana A, Hellard M, Giles M
  J Clin Epidemiol. 2008 Sep; 61(9):896-899
• 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
• Risk behaviours and blood borne virus exposure for transient workers in rural Victoria.
  Pedrana A, Aitken C, Higgs P, Hellard M
  Aust J Rural Health. 2008 Jun; 16(3):143-149

News Articles (7)

2017 (2)

• Burnet World Hepatitis Day Symposium
• Hep C treatment decline prompts new call out

2016 (1)

• Hep C: Elimination is the Goal

2015 (1)

• PRONTO! funding welcomed

2013 (1)

• Congratulations to Burnet's NHMRC grant recipients

2011 (2)

• Future of HIV testing in Australia
• Rapid HIV testing not far away