Megan Passey

Professor Megan Passey (BMed (Hons), MPH, MSc, PhD 2014) is Professor of Rural Health in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney. A rurally-based health services researcher, she leads the Tobacco Behaviour Change and Implementation stream at The Daffodil Centre, a joint venture between the University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW. She joined the Daffodil Centre in July 2023 after serving as Director of Research at the University Centre for Rural Health in Lismore. Since completing her PhD, Passey has held fellowships from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Cancer Institute NSW (CINSW), and the University of Sydney, including an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (APP1159601). She has secured over $25 million in competitive grant funding and has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications as well as numerous reports for government agencies.

Her research specializes in reducing harms from smoking among priority populations, such as pregnant women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and tackling health inequities in rural settings. Passey leads the NHMRC-funded MOHMQuit trial (Midwives and Obstetricians Helping Mothers to Quit Smoking), which tests strategies to support smoking cessation in pregnancy through healthcare providers. She is a chief investigator on the CRE-STRIDE Centre for Research Excellence, focused on strengthening systems for Indigenous primary health care equity. Key publications include Passey ME et al., 'Knowledge, attitudes and other factors associated with antenatal smoking among Aboriginal women in Australia' (Drug and Alcohol Review, 2012); Johnston J et al., 'Study of potentially preventable hospitalisations for chronic conditions in rural and regional areas' (BMJ Open, 2020); and Barnes LAJ et al., 'The MOHMQuit Trial: protocol for a stepped-wedge implementation trial' (Implementation Science Communications, 2022). Passey serves as a board member of the international Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT), elected as the representative for Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America (AAOLA), and on the board of the SRNT Oceania chapter. Her work has influenced tobacco control policies and interventions in rural and Indigenous health.

Professional Email: megan.passey@sydney.edu.au