It all started on a flight in 2016, when one of our founders came across an in-flight magazine article about lionfish—beautiful but invasive creatures whose sting can cause intense, excruciating pain. As a scientist with a background in venom research, curiosity took over. A search through the scientific literature revealed something surprising: no one had figured out exactly how lionfish venom causes pain.

That question sparked nearly three years of research. Working with a dedicated team of students and collaborators, the lab uncovered how the venom targets specific pain-sensing nerve cells. In 2018, their breakthrough was published as the cover story of PAIN, a respected scientific journal, showing for the first time how the venom works and what makes it so painful.

From there, the mission became clear: turn this knowledge into real-world relief. The team developed a way to block the pain caused by venom stings—and even volunteered as their own first test subjects to ensure it worked safely in humans.

Today, their research continues, not just to improve sting treatments, but to understand how certain predators like moray eels and sharks can eat venomous lionfish without being harmed. By exploring both the venom’s evolution and natural resistance to it, the team hopes to unlock more secrets that could one day lead to new medical innovations.

The result of this journey? Stingmaster—a fast, science-based solution for jellyfish and lionfish stings, designed to ease pain and help people get back to enjoying the ocean without fear.