Professor Richard Lewis and collaborators (Prof. Paul Alewood, Prof David Adams and Prof. MacDonald Christie) have received $6.36 million to develop new drugs to treat chronic pain.

The NHMRC Program grant entitled "Venom peptides as modulators of pain pathways" will commence in 2010.

“The goal of our research is to improve treatments for pain, especially persistent pain, which remains a poorly managed global health burden,” Dr Lewis said.

“We are investigating the venom from animals such as cone shells to develop a new class of pain killers that can treat persistent pain.”

UQ's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor David Siddle said the grants would fund work that had the potential to reshape the health of Australia.