Struan Sutherland

Infobox Scientist
name = Struan Keith Sutherland


image_width =
caption =
birth_date = birth date|1936|6|17|mf=y
birth_place = Sydney, Australia
death_date = death date and age|2002|1|11|1936|6|17|mf=y
death_place =
residence = Australia
nationality = Australian
field = Toxicology, Pharmacology, Immunology
work_institution = Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (1966-1994), University of Melbourne (1994-1999)
alma_mater = University of Melbourne
known_for = Antivenins and other treatments for funnel-web spider and snakebite
prizes = AMA Prize for Medical Research (1977), James Cook Medal of the Royal Society of NSW (1984)

Struan Keith Sutherland AO (June 17, 1936 – January 11, 2002) was an Australian medical researcher who developed effective antivenins and other treatments for people bitten or stung by venomous Australian wildlife.

Early life

Sutherland was born in Sydney and grew up in Bendigo, Victoria. He studied medicine at the University of Melbourne, graduating in 1960, and served in the Royal Australian Navy from 1962-1965. [http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/177_03_050802/sutherland_obit_fm.html]

The CSL years

In 1966 Sutherland joined the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories and was soon appointed Head of Immunology Research, a position which he held for 28 years. The death in January 1979 of a young girl, Christine Sturges, from a funnel-web spider bite prompted Sutherland to look for a funnel-web antivenin [http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s25168.htm] . Many previous researchers had failed to develop such an antivenin, but Sutherland persevered. In January 1980, a two-year-old boy James Culley was bitten by a funnel-web, and died three days later. This was the spider's 13th recorded victim. Later that year, Sutherland's team produced an effective antivenin [http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/177_03_050802/sutherland_obit_fm.html] and since then no deaths have been recorded from funnelweb bites [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15850438] . The antivenin had its first success when it was used to treat a 49-year-old Sydney man, Gordon Wheatley, who was bitten by a funnel-web on 31 January 1981. He completely recovered after 2 days in hospital.

Sutherland also led research into snakebite treatment, working on antivenins and developing venom detection kits to help doctors determine appropriate treatment for a bite. He also championed the pressure immobilisation treatment for both snake and funnelweb bites [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1122405] , replacing treatments such as tourniquets that were often harmful to the patient.

Later years

In 1994 CSL was privatised and the antivenin research program was closed, prompting Sutherland to leave the organisation for the University of Melbourne. Here he founded the Australian Venom Research Unit, where he worked until 1999 when striatonigral degeneration, a condition similar to Parkinson's disease, forced him to retire. Even in retirement he continued to work, co-authoring three books [http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s25168.htm] , including "Venomous Creatures of Australia", which became its publisher's (Oxford University Press) best-selling Australian book.

When he died in 2002, he had already written his own death notice: "Struan would like to inform his friends and acquaintances that he fell off his perch on Friday, 11 January, 2002, and is to be privately cremated. No flowers please. Donations to Australian Venom Research Unit, Melbourne University." [http://www.apesma.asn.au/newsviews/professional_update/2002/jan_feb/venomous_life.htm]

Sutherland's autobiography, "A Venomous Life" 1998, Highland House Publishing, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. SBN 1-86447-026-7. He also wrote "Hydroponics For Everyone", about one of his hobbies.

Sutherland had a humorous interview with Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine in "Last Chance to See".

Personal

He was married three times.

Honours

In the Australia Day honours of 2002, two weeks after his death, Sutherland was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), effective from 7 February 2000, for "service to science as a leading contributor to research in clinical toxicology and the biology of Australia's venomous creatures, and for the development of the funnel web spider antivenom".

External links

* [http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/177_03_050802/sutherland_obit_fm.html Medical Journal of Australia obituary]
* [http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/324/7335/488 BMG obituary]
* [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1132190&search_type=quick&showInd=true Entry at PM&C Awards site]

References

* Mark Whitaker, "Spiderman", Weekend Australian Magazine, 13-14 March 1999