Whether you want to learn about the realities of snakebite envenoming from those who have experienced and treated it firsthand, explore how new technologies can transform diagnostics, or co-create solutions alongside experts, there is an event for you.

View our upcoming event calendar, and get ready to develop your entry.

Understanding the Snakebite Patient Journey across South-East Asia

8 July 2026

What to expect: A deep-dive exploration of what happens from the exact moment a person is bitten by a venomous snake to the moment they receive care, focusing on what gets in the way.

Featured speaker:

• Taksa Vasaruchapong is a veterinarian of Snake Farm, Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, the Thai Red Cross Society, where thousands of snakes are raised in captivity for antivenom production, research and public education. He is currently a PhD candidate in animal physiology at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University. His tasks relate to snake diseases and management programs for ensuring the snakes’ health status, field studies about snake biology, and research on snakes and snake venom. He has been a trainer for the Intensive Course on Snake Handling Practice Program since 2015, which is a training course for the public to handle snakes safely and perform proper venomous snakebite first aid.

Innovation Beyond Antivenom: AI, Diagnostics & Emergency Response

09 July 2026

What to expect: Discover how fields like digital health, AI, emergency transport logistics, and community response systems are creating entirely new avenues for healthcare accessibility.

Featured speaker:

• Dr. Karthikeyan Vasudevan is a Senior Principal Scientist (Scientist-G) at the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), specialising in tropical conservation biology, disease ecology, and herpetology. With over two decades of field and research experience exploring India's richest biodiverse regions, his work bridges the gap between molecular science and wildlife conservation. He spearheads critical research on snake-human conflict and antivenomics, focusing on identifying undetected toxins to improve the efficacy of Indian polyvalent antivenoms and targeting equitable healthcare delivery for snakebite victims in rural communities.

Welcome to the Wellcome Snakebite Innovation Prize

10 July 2026

What to expect: An introductory overview of the prize itself. Learn about the challenge statement, clarify the two entry tracks, and find out how your specific work could be relevant.

Please note that this session will be delivered in Spanish.

Featured speaker:

• Dr. José María Gutiérrez is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Costa Rica, where, for over four decades, he has studied snake venoms, antivenoms, and the public health dimensions of snakebite envenoming at the Instituto Clodomiro Picado. He has served as an advisor on antivenoms to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and contributed to the international initiative, led by Costa Rica and other countries, that secured recognition of snakebite as a priority neglected tropical disease at the WHO. A board member and Technical & Latin America Advisor of the Global Snakebite Initiative, he is also a lead author of foundational papers calling for a coordinated global strategy against snakebite. With more than 600 publications, widely cited across the field, he is one of the most influential voices in snakebite research, particularly across Latin America.

SnakeHack: Telangana

15 July 2026

What to expect: The first SnakeHack in India. This in-person hackathon brings together deep snakebite expertise and fresh problem-solvers from adjacent fields within Telangana to map out real solutions and support the development of solutions.

Featured speakers:

• Prateek Deshmukh is associated with the Atal Innovation Mission, India's flagship national innovation programme under NITI Aayog. He works at the intersection of grassroots innovation, youth entrepreneurship, and deep-tech ecosystem building, supporting startups and student innovators across India's largest government-run innovation network.

• Avinash Visvanathan is a herpetologist with over two decades of experience in snake conservation, snakebite mitigation, and promoting coexistence between people and wildlife. As the General Secretary of the Friends of Snakes Society, he has led initiatives in snake rescue, community awareness, capacity building, and research across Telangana. He is also a two-time survivor of snakebite, bringing a rare combination of professional expertise and lived experience to the conversation.

• Sai Lakshmi has been actively associated with Friends of Snakes Society for over a decade, contributing to snake conservation, rescue support, and public outreach initiatives. As Awareness Coordinator, she designs and delivers community education programmes on snake identification, snakebite prevention, and safe coexistence with snakes. She focuses on promoting evidence-based practices, dispelling myths surrounding snakes, and fostering informed human–snake coexistence.

• Dr. Ravi N works on the front lines of acute care management at MRIMS's emergency department. His clinical experience spans the full spectrum of emergency presentations, including time-critical envenomation cases such as snakebite, where rapid triage, antivenom administration, and critical care stabilisation are essential.

Innovating Across the Snakebite Patient Journey - Exploring Intervention Opportunities and Solution Pathways

16 July 2026

What to expect: A practical, solution-oriented session looking at concrete innovation pathways in preparedness, logistics, diagnostic tools, and emergency coordination.

Featured speakers:

• Irene Kimeu is a biochemist and pharmaceutical professional with extensive experience in vaccines, biological products, and snakebite envenomation management across Africa and the Middle East. She has worked with ministries of health, healthcare institutions, regulatory authorities, professional associations, and development partners to improve access to life-saving vaccines and antivenoms through advocacy, strategic partnerships, policy engagement, and healthcare worker education. Irene is passionate about advancing equitable access to quality-assured health technologies and supporting sustainable solutions that strengthen immunisation programmes and improve snakebite prevention and management across underserved communities.

• Dr. Rita Salifu is a Lecturer in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the School of Public Health, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Ghana. She is a public health specialist with over 20 years of experience in research, teaching, and community health. Her work focuses on translating research into policy and practice, with projects funded by organisations including the USAID, the Wellcome Trust, and the National Institutes of Health. Her research includes improving access to snake antivenom and examining the gendered impacts of snakebite envenoming on rural communities in Ghana through the African Snakebite Alliance.

• Dr. Robert Rono is a physician, field epidemiologist, and health systems specialist with over 13 years of experience in public health programme leadership in Kenya. As a County NTD Program expert and Snakebite Programme Lead in Baringo County, he has led initiatives in snakebite prevention, surveillance, community engagement, antivenom access, and health worker capacity building. His work integrates implementation research, health systems strengthening, and policy translation to improve care in underserved communities.

• Washington Odhiambo is a snakebite survivor from the Lake Victoria region of Kenya. His experience of surviving a snakebite has given me a deep understanding of the challenges that patients and their families face, from accessing care to navigating treatment and recovery. He is passionate about sharing his story to help improve awareness of snakebite and to ensure that future solutions are designed with the realities of patients and communities in mind.