Biomedical startup CEO Aaron Traywick, who made headlines after he publicly injected himself with herpes, was found dead in Washington D.C. on Sunday, April 29.
According to the News2share website, Traywick's body was in a flotation therapy tank in a spa room.
Aaron Traywick's Untimely Death
The 28-year-old's unfortunate death is being investigated but the police don't suspect "foul play" was at hand.
Flotation tanks are filled with body-temperature saltwater to promote sensory deprivation. They are also soundproof. According to the police, Traywick was found facedown in the tank.
Traywick, a public activist for life extension, biohacking, and transhumanist movements, was the CEO of Ascendance Biomedical, known for its urgency to get people to conduct medical research outside of pharmaceutical companies. Employees of the biohacking company would perform experiments on themselves.
The 28-year-old visionary had been featured on numerous news outlets including BBC News, Reddit, The Verge, and The Atlantic for his controversial methods and DIY homemade gene therapies.
In October 2017, Traywick injected himself with an untested herpes treatment live in public. The treatment was also given to Tristan Roberts, who also worked for Ascendance Biomedical and, who in fact, does have HIV. Traywick received backlash from the FDA, which warned against the dangers of conducting these experiments.
Ascendance Biomedical's Uncertain Future
Traywick's former colleagues Roberts and Andreas Stuermer, who had lost touch with Traywick four weeks ago, spoke highly of his vision for Ascendance Biomedical and his willingness to change bio-medicine. The colleagues stated that disagreements over the startup's direction and philosophical differences on how to best distribute creations led to the team splitting up.
Stuermer said of the late CEO that he was willing to go where others were afraid to. Stuermer continued that he wasn't sure where the future of Ascendance Biomedical was headed but he was certain that it wouldn't end with Traywick's death.
"Aaron was a passionate visionary. He seemingly never tired as he brought people together to work on some of the most imposing challenges facing humanity," Roberts said in a statement.
