Students

David Williams

PhD Student

David Williams has worked professionally as a herpetologist for the majority of his adult life, principally working with highly venomous terrestrial and sea snakes, crocodiles and other potentially dangerous reptiles. He has a particular interest in snakebite epidemiology and clinical management, snake venoms and antivenoms and is currently conducting research on these topics in Papua New Guinea in order to obtain his PhD from the University of Melbourne School of Medicine.

He is a PNG National Department of Health-sponsored, University of Papua New Guinea-affiliated, researcher who has been involved in a large epidemiological study of snakebite in southern Papua New Guinea since 2001. He has accumulated extensive field experience throughout Papua New Guinea over the last ten years, and a wide network of local contacts in some of the most remote regions of the country. In 2004 David led a group from AVRU who developed a national course in the treatment of venomous bites and stings for PNG health workers and doctors.

In 2005, he was the senior editor of “Venomous bites and stings in Papua New Guinea: A guide to treatment for health workers and doctors”, PNG’s first textbook on the treatment and management of injuries caused by venomous animals. David is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne under the supervision of Dr Kenneth Winkel, and based in Port Moresby, PNG where he is conducting a number of research projects. In collaboration with Dr Lohi Matainaho from the University of Papua New Guinea, he has established a fledgling National Reference Collection of live venomous snakes at the University Medical School, and is assisting a number of local students and doctors with projects related to the treatment of snakebite.