Lachlan Bourke

Lachlan Bourke is a School of the Environment PhD candidate in the Adaptive Biotoxicology Lab. He holds a Bachelor of Science and Honours degree with a major in Zoology. Lachlan’s PhD is an intersect of ecology, evolution, and biomedical science. He investigates the venom activity of Latin American pit vipers, including very rare and understudied species. Studying venoms from a diverse range of species is important to uncover the drivers of venom evolution, discover molecules that could be used to develop medical drugs (venom is a goldmine for drug discovery), and/or highlight medical implications that would arise if an individual was bitten. Coming to the end of his candidature, Lachlan is increasingly passionate in translating this research to inspire why conservation of venomous snakes is important. He also interested in future reptile ecology research.

Lachlan is interested in many topics and has been a collaborator in many side projects, including investigation of snake’s response to airborne sounds and characterisation of the SEQ sand island mangrove forests.