Senior Lecturer, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University
Researching gaming, influencers and digital culture in communication, health and social change
About
I am an early career researcher working at the intersection of communication, digital influencers, and gaming subcultures. My work positions esports and streaming environments as important sites of health communication, social marketing, and behaviour change. Alongside my academic research, I bring more than 20 years of professional experience across government and non-profit communication, helping connect scholarly insight with real-world impact.
What I research
Health communication and social change
I explore how public health and social marketing messages can be translated into the cultural language of online communities to better reach emerging adult audiences.
Influencers and digital identities
My research examines how content creators, sponsorship, and platform cultures influence norms, credibility, and audience behaviour in digital spaces.
Esports and gaming cultures
I study the social worlds of gaming and esports, including the networks of peers, platforms, creators, and organisations that shape behaviour and identity.
Some of my publications (check out all of them at the link below)
- Micallef, D., Parker, L., Brennan, L., Schivinski, B., & Jackson, M. (2022). Improving the health of emerging adult gamer: A scoping review of influences. Nutrients, 14(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14112226
- Micallef, D., Hurcombe, E., & Feng, J. (2025, 2025/12/01/). Long live Darth Vapour! Examining how audiences engage with influencers in an anti-vaping campaign. Public Relations Review, 51(5), 102633. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2025.102633
- Micallef, D., Schivinski, B., Brennan, L., Parker, L., & Jackson, M. (2024, 01 Jan. 2024). “What Are You Eating?” Is the Influence of Fortnite Streamers Expanding Beyond the Game? Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports, 2(1), jege.2023-0033. https://doi.org/10.1123/jege.2023-0033
Dr David Micallef 