Areas of Research

The Unit undertakes basic research into venoms of importance in Australia and the region. It has established and maintains a National Reference Collection of venoms and venom components for use in collaboratation with scientists throughout the world. Many of these venoms remain poorly researched and some have never been studied. The AVRU seeks to develop and improve antivenoms in association with a production companies in Australia and overseas. It also seeks venoms with novel activities that may have potential as either new therapeutic agents or investigational tools.

The Unit public health activities seek to define the burden of venomous bite and sting injury, and its determinants, in Australia and the Indo-Pacific region, and to be a Resource Centre for the dissemination of such information for injury prevention purposes. It is also a national pharmacovigilence centre for antivenom related adverse drug reactions and aims to improve the quality of epidemiological tools to study venomous bite and sting injuries in collaboration with leading injury researchers and national statistical agencies.

The AVRU contributes to the undergraduate and postgraduate training of medical and paramedical staff in research on venomous bite and sting injuries and their management. It also aims to enhance the evidence base underlying contemporary recommendations in the prevention and treatment of venomous bite and sting injuries through direct clinical research and the analysis of appropriate animal models. The Unit also provides expert advice and diagnostic services for the investigation of ante-mortem and post-mortem cases of suspected snake bite.

Last updated: August 2005