Mark O'Shea: Snakes, Science and Public Health – A Life Scientific Interview

Short summary

In this Life Scientific episode, Mark O'Shea, a renowned snake expert and professor of herpetology, reflects on a career spanning field expeditions in New Guinea and the Amazon, public health work on venom and antivenom, and a long-running role as a communicator and curator. He recounts a near-fatal king cobra incident, his path from hospital work to academia, and his commitment to demystifying snakes through outreach, broadcasting, and international collaborations. The interview also touches on his unexpected early life, education as a mature student, and his recent PhD by publication, illustrating how persistence can translate a childhood fascination into a lasting scientific impact.

Overview

Mark O'Shea, a prominent herpetologist at the University of Wolverhampton and scientific associate at the Natural History Museum, shares a life dedicated to snakes. His work blends field biology, taxonomy, venom research, and public education, showing how curiosity about reptiles can become a global scientific career. The discussion covers his early fascination with reptiles, his non-linear path into higher education, and how he turned a childhood passion into leadership in field biology, conservation, and medical science linked to snake venom.

"If you want something so much you can taste it, you should be able to achieve it, with hard work and sacrifices" - Mark O'Shea

Early Life and Education

O'Shea recalls his Dublin Zoo encounter as a child that sparked a lifelong pursuit of reptiles. He describes a non-traditional route into science after leaving school, working in accident and emergency, studying zoology, and then securing a place at Wolverhampton Polytechnic. The interview emphasizes the power of determination and opportunity, noting how education transformed his trajectory from a hospital job to a university career and expedition leadership.

"It's the most important decision I've made in my life" - Mark O'Shea

Fieldwork and Public Health

The conversation moves through his fieldwork in the Amazon and New Guinea, including experiences with rattlesnakes and the realities of snakebite emergencies in remote settings. He explains the public health impact of snakebites, the ecological value of venomous snakes, and the challenges of delivering antivenom in rural areas, highlighting the global drought in antivenom supply and the role of institutes like the Instituto Clodomiro Picado in Costa Rica in producing lifesaving antidotes.

"They are an important part of the ecology" - Mark O'Shea

Public Engagement and Media

O'Shea describes shaping public understanding of snakes through the West Midlands Safari Park reptile house, educational talks, and his broadcasting work on O'Shea's Big Adventure. He discusses collaborations with Oxford and Australian venom units, and how milking snakes for venom research fits into the broader effort to improve treatment for bites and to educate communities about wildlife.

"We wanted to bring real field herpetology into people's living rooms" - Mark O'Shea

Late Career and PhD by Publication

The final sections cover his transition to a professorship at Wolverhampton in 2019, his ongoing field research, and the decision to defend a PhD by publication, a milestone that embodies perseverance and lifelong learning. He reflects on the value of persistence, sharing that his life proves that early setbacks do not define future possibilities.

"It's all about pushing yourself in life to try and achieve something else, and something else" - Mark O'Shea