Highlights

A fascination for chemistry, marine biology and zoology led Professor Richard Lewis to become expert in analyzing and characterizing venoms. He is best known for using mass spectroscopy and novel bioassays to characterise conotoxins, which are small venom peptides from predatory marine snails, and using molecular pharmacology to enhance molecules for drug development.

The focus of Professor Lewis’s research is discovering and developing new treatments for chronic pain. Several conotoxins discovered by his research team have been taken into the clinic, including Xen2174 for severe pain.

The potential to change people’s lives is a key motivator for Professor Lewis. By making discoveries on the scientific frontier, he hopes to change the landscape for further research, and whenever possible help deliver better treatments for chronic pain sufferers.

Professor Lewis is Director of IMB’s Centre for Pain Research, and leader of a Program Grant in Pain Research from the NHMRC.

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