---
title: "Ascendance Biomedical CEO Injects Himself on Stage With a Herpes “Research Compound”"
url: https://alsuprun.com/blog/biohacking/ascendance-biomedical-ceo-injects-himself-on-stage-with-a-herpes-research-compound/
author: "Editorial"
date: 2026-09-23T07:51:38+00:00
categories: ["biohacking"]
tags: []
---

# Ascendance Biomedical CEO Injects Himself on Stage With a Herpes “Research Compound”

Recently, the CEO of a biotech company called Ascendance Biomedical injected himself on stage at a [biohacking](https://alsuprun.com/) conference in Texas. He did this with a DIY “research compound” that had not been tested for safety or gone through the FDA’s drug approval process.

 The move gained him notoriety and prompted criticism of his methods. But why do some biohackers risk their lives to experiment with unproven techniques?

 

## Motivations

 The founder of a small company that claimed to have developed a DIY herpes vaccine and cure has been found dead. Aaron Traywick, 28 – who was also the chief executive of Ascendance Biomedical – was discovered in a Washington DC spa room, where he was reportedly using a flotation tank. His death is under investigation. The company had gained fame after its CEO performed a stunt at a February conference by injecting himself on stage with an unregulated herpes treatment. The experiment was live-streamed and prompted calls for the Food and Drug Administration to intervene. Business associate Tristan Roberts said that while others in the community disagreed with Traywick’s methods, none had doubted his intentions.

 [![Rejuvenate your whole body & balance your health without medications - now remotely!](https://alsuprun.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/BioresonanceTopAd.png)](https://www.bioresonance.rent) The [biohacking](https://alsuprun.com/) movement is a controversial one. Some participants believe that the public should be able to self-experiment on their own bodies, particularly with the use of genome editing tools like CRISPR. Others, such as Josiah Zayner – who fabricated an experimental herpes cure in the documentary series Unnatural Selection – see it as a form of creative expression that allows them to challenge prevailing scientific beliefs. Regardless of their motivations, some critics argue that biohackers are pursuing activities that could be considered dangerous or illegal, and are putting themselves at risk of arrest, fines and lawsuits.

 Others point out that if the movement continues to deviate from general safety rules, it could lead to more strict regulations across the country and even the world. The movement’s leaders have begun to address these concerns by creating their own peer-review system and by starting conversations with regulators. But the brash talk and rage-against-the-machine attitudes that have characterized this movement from the beginning remain.

 

## Methods

 The annual gathering of biohackers in LAS VEGAS this weekend may have had more scientific posters than sex toys, but it was also a lot less chaotic than it has been. The community that aims to buck the conventions of mainstream science is putting more emphasis on practices like peer review and conversations with regulators.

 [![](https://alsuprun.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/ForeverYoungYouWannaBe.png)](https://alsuprun.com/services.html#Contact) In February, Aaron Traywick, CEO of the life extension company Ascendance Biomedical, became notorious after he injected himself with his company’s unproven herpes vaccine onstage at a [biohacking](https://alsuprun.com/) conference in Texas. The experiment was live-streamed on Facebook and his claims about curing herpes, AIDS and cancer raised eyebrows in the [biohacking](https://alsuprun.com/) community and beyond.

 His actions led to a lawsuit by the US Food and Drug Administration, and he was arrested shortly thereafter. The [biohacking](https://alsuprun.com/) community has criticized his methods and condemned his behavior, but many are also concerned that his death could hurt the movement’s image.

 A few weeks ago, the University of Virginia School of Medicine published a study in the journal Cell Reports that suggests a way to prevent cold sores and potentially genital herpes. Researchers discovered that the slumbering herpes virus makes a protein that activates the body’s natural antiviral defenses as it wakes up from dormancy. This discovery might lead to drugs that interrupt the process by which the herpes virus attaches itself to cells.

 Another controversial experiment involves the Seattle-based company BioViva, which is working on a gene therapy to extend the telomeres of white blood cells and slow the ageing process. BioViva CEO Elizabeth Parrish claims that six months after receiving her experimental telomerase gene therapy, the telomeres of her white blood cells had lengthened by about 9%. But scientists are skeptical that this would be sufficient to significantly delay aging or prevent disease, and BioViva is not currently conducting any further experiments.

 

## Results

 Many biohackers gain publicity through risky experiments that they conduct on themselves. At a [biohacking](https://alsuprun.com/) conference in February, Ascendance CEO Josiah Traywick injected himself on stage with an untested gene therapy that claimed to cure herpes and HIV. This would have violated US FDA regulations and drawn the attention of the media. He claimed that six months after the injection the telomeres in his white blood cells had lengthened by 9%.

 Many Canadian DIY biologists want to distance themselves from such dangerous self-improvement projects. They see [biohacking](https://alsuprun.com/) as a different movement from the maker movement and want to keep it free of such stunts.

 [![](https://alsuprun.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/RadionicMerch.png)](https://alsuprun.com/merch.html) 

## Conclusions

 [Biohacking](https://alsuprun.com/), the do-it-yourself use of technology and lifestyle interventions to optimize health, has converged with human gut microbiome science to create adaptive, individualized, and minimally invasive precision-health paradigms. These strategies, from nutrigenomics and intermittent fasting to engineered microbial consortia and wearable sensoring, recalibrate host-microbe networks to fine-tune circadian alignment, metabolic control, and immune resilience. As a result, they can shift health management from episodic to continuous and predictive.

 But the convergence of these practices also exposes fundamental tensions, ranging from the empowerment and commodification of health to a denial of biological constraints. [Biohacking](https://alsuprun.com/) aligns with transhumanist ideals of overcoming biological limitations, especially aging, through molecular, microbial, and technological intervention. But this pursuit risks reinforcing societal hierarchies tied to access, gender, and socioeconomic privilege.

 Moreover, the lack of methodological rigor in these experimental endeavors often blurs the boundary between evidence-based medicine and anecdotal experimentation. For example, a controversial experiment by Elizabeth Parrish of the BioViva company, in which she injected herself with untested telomerase gene therapy, led to extravagant and sensational news coverage, but there is no long-term proof that her telomeres lengthened (Gizmodo, February 12, 2018).

 Nevertheless, achieving methodological rigor will be crucial for transforming microbiome [biohacking](https://alsuprun.com/) from anecdotal experimentation into a scientifically grounded component of preventive and personalized medicine. A translational roadmap, emphasizing standardized metadata, validated reference frameworks, longitudinal multi-omics for causal inference, strain-level safety genomics, and governance integrating ethical and cybersecurity oversight, can help facilitate the transformation of these emerging technologies into clinically relevant tools. By establishing [biohacking](https://alsuprun.com/)’s credibility as a credible source of preventive and personalized medicine, these new techniques will become more widely used and accepted. By ensuring that evidence-based findings are distinguished from exploratory or speculative concepts, we will create a new frontier of healthcare that enables individuals to self-direct their own metabolic optimization and enhance performance.

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