Dr Steven Hall
Lecturer in PharmacologyResearch 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.
Web Links
1) Conversation article summarising our research and goals.
2) Nature Outlook article discussing snakebite and mentioning our work.
3) Video interview for the Royal Society of Biology's A to Z of the Biosciences.
4) Minutes to Die Documentary [1h02m, 2017] summarising the snakebite issue.
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
All Publications
Synergistic snakebite therapies: Quantifying pharmacological synergy between snake venom-inhibiting drugs
12/06/2025 → 31/07/2025
Research
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
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