Biohacker famous for injecting self with herpes treatment found dead in float therapy tank

Aaron Traywick, the 28-year-old CEO of biohacking company Ascendance Biomedical, reportedly died in a flotation therapy tank in Washington D.C. on Sunday, April 28. Aaron Traywick, the 28-year-old CEO of biohacking company Ascendance Biomedical, reportedly died in a flotation therapy tank in Washington D.C. on Sunday, April 28. Photo: Ruptly TV Screen Grab Photo: Ruptly TV Screen Grab Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close Biohacker famous for injecting self with herpes treatment found dead in float therapy tank 1 / 13 Back to Gallery

The 28-year-old CEO of a controversial biohacking company was found dead in a Washington D.C. spa on Sunday.

The body of Aaron Traywick, CEO and founder of Ascendance Biomedical, was discovered in a spa room on Massachusetts Ave. shortly after 11:30 a.m. Sunday, the Metropolitan Police Department told SFGATE. The investigation remains ongoing. No evidence suggests foul play.

Ascendance employees Andreas Stuermer and Tristan Roberts told Vice News that Traywick was found in a flotation therapy tank. The soundproof tanks are typically filled with body-temperature saltwater to promote "sensory deprivation," which proponents say aids in the exploration of alternate states of consciousness. (Read more about the tanks here.)

"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 to Vice. "While many in the biohacking scene disagreed with his methods, none of them doubted his intentions. He sought nothing short of a revolution in biomedicine; the democratization of science and the opening of the flood gates for global healing."

Traywick made headlines in February after injecting himself with an un-tested herpes treatment, a stunt that sent ripples through the biohacking community. Some said Traywick's theatrics gave biohacking – experimenting with genetic material without consideration for accepted ethical standards – a bad rap.

Following the February antics, reports emerged that Ascendance employees had begun distancing themselves from Traywick and his ostentatious methods.

"We all lost touch with him. It was radio silence," Stuermer told VICE in February.

Stuermer and Ascendance could not be reached for comment.

In October Traywick injected a volunteer with a D.I.Y. treatment for HIV, a move that prompted the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to issue a statement that the sale of such D.I.Y. therapies is illegal. Because Ascendance wasn't selling the products, and conducted all testing on volunteers, the company effectively skirted the FDA's strict rulings.

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.