Dr Steven Hall

Lecturer in Pharmacology

Research Overview

Snakebite affects millions of people every year and is estimated to cause >100,000 deaths and 400,000 life-altering injuries annually. Conventional antivenoms are the current mainstay treatment but are associated with many issues including high cost, poor stability, being snake species-specific, the need to be delivered intravenously, and poor efficacy against local tissue necrosis caused by cytotoxic snake venoms. Dr Hall’s research is therefore focused on (i) the pharmacological determination of synergistic drug combinations with multi-species efficacy, and (ii) the development of local drug administration methods that could be exploited to better treat the devastating effects of snakebite-induced tissue necrosis.

Selected Publications

Small Molecule Drug Discovery for Neglected Tropical Snakebite
Clare, R.H., Hall, S.R., Patel, R.N., Casewell, N.R. 31/05/2021
Review article

Repurposed drugs and their combinations prevent morbidity-inducing dermonecrosis caused by diverse cytotoxic snake venoms
Hall, S.R., Rasmussen, S.A., Crittenden, E., Dawson, C.A., Bartlett, K.E., Westhorpe, A.P., Albulescu, L., Kool, J., Gutiérrez, J.M., Casewell, N.R. 14/12/2023 In: Nature Communications. 14, 1, p. 1-15. 15 p.
Journal article

Molecular dissection of cobra venom highlights heparinoids as an antidote for spitting cobra envenoming
Du, T.Y., Hall, S.R., Chung, F., Kurdyukov, S., Crittenden, E., Patel, K., Dawson, C.A., Westhorpe, A.P., Bartlett, K.E., Rasmussen, S.A., Moreno, C.L., Denes, C.E., Albulescu, L., Marriott, A.E., Mackay, J.P., Wilkinson, M.C., Gutiérrez, J.M., Casewell, N.R., Neely, G.G. 17/07/2024 In: Science Translational Medicine. 16, 756
Journal article

Dermonecrosis caused by a spitting cobra snakebite results from toxin potentiation and is prevented by the repurposed drug varespladib
Bartlett, K.E., Hall, S., Rasmussen, S.A., Crittenden, E., Dawson, C.A., Albulescu, L., Laprade, W., Harrison, R.A., Saviola, A.J., Modahl, C., Jenkins, T.P., Wilkinson, M.C., Gutiérrez, J.M., Casewell, N.R. 7/05/2024 In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 121, 19, p. 1-12. 12 p.
Journal article

Synergistic snakebite therapies: Quantifying pharmacological synergy between snake venom-inhibiting drugs
12/06/2025 → 31/07/2025
Research

Technology in Developing Countries
05/05/2025 → …
Other

A new solution for an age-old problem: The pharmacological development of synergistic drug combinations for neglected tropical snakebite
01/10/2024 → 30/09/2025
Research

Project code change from MED7160 to BLS7247 - don't reuse (A new solution for an age-old problem: The pharmacological development of synergistic drug combinations for neglected tropical snakebite)
01/10/2024 → 30/09/2025
Research

Determining the oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction mechanisms of action of cytotoxic snake venoms
01/01/1900 → …
Research

Development of drug delivery devices for the treatment of local envenoming
01/01/1900 → …
Research

Quantifying pharmacological synergy between snake venom-inhibiting drugs
01/01/1900 → …
Research

From Jadomycins to Snake Venoms: How a PhD in Pharmacology from Dalhousie Shaped my Scientific Career
Invited talk

Canadian Society of Pharmacology & Therapeutics (CSPT) (External organisation)
Membership of committee

Stronger Together: Exploiting drug synergy to develop an optimised, pan-species effective treatment to cytotoxic snakebite envenoming
Oral presentation

Lancaster University Open Day
Other

The Development of Drug Delivery Biomaterials for the Treatment of Cytotoxic Snakebite Envenoming
Oral presentation

Toxicon (Journal)
Publication peer-review

UK Society for Biomaterials Conference 2025
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Multiple 6th form schools
School Engagement

Pharmacology & Pharmaceutical Science: solutions in health, from lab to life - Lancaster University
Oral presentation

Neglected Tropical Snakebite: Current Problems and Future Solutions
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar

Windermere Science Festival 2025
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition

White Rock Christian Academy
School Engagement

Multiple 6th form schools
School Engagement

MSc by Research Viva
Examination

MSc by Research Viva
Examination

Letter S | Snakebite Treatment Researcher Dr Steven Hall | A to Z of the Biosciences
Oral presentation

PhD Viva
Examination

Canadian Society of Pharmacology & Therapeutics (CSPT) (External organisation)
Membership of committee

Inaugural Event of the Africa Research Hub
Symposium

BLS at Furness STEM Show 2024
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition

  • Microbes, Pathogens and Immunity