Tomorrow Bio presents scientist Michael Benjamin ahead of Biostasis2022.
As we near the Biostasis2022 Conference, Tomorrow Bio wants to introduce you to key figures in the field of cryonics, biostasis, and longevity research. Today, Tomorrow Bio is keen to introduce you to American scientist Michael Benjamin.
Michael Benjamin is an American scientist specialising in the fields of space and bioengineering. He is the founder of Baxis Advisors, a process improvement service working in the space industry. His company provides technical, operational and organisational support to clients in varying areas of expertise such as orbit management, technical engineering, innovation initiatives and more.
However, it is not his work in the field of space engineering that’s made him famous among the cryonics community. Following his love for science, Benjamin has gained a position as Research Associate at Advanced Neural Biosciences (ANB), an institute focusing on meta-analysis on cryogenic processes for tissue preservation (cryopreservation). Researchers at ANB also conduct studies on nanobots in tissue repair, brain connectome and neuronal repair options.
These are just a few of the impressive achievements Michael Benjamin has under his belt. Let’s go over the rest in chronological order.
Benjamin started his professional career in 2002 as an Intern and Research Assistant at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). GSFC mainly manages communications between mission control and astronauts aboard the International Space Station. For about a year this was where he conducted research on energetics of accelerated electrons and the Neupert Effect in solar flares.
In 2003, the young scientist graduated with a bachelor’s degree of science in physics from New York-Hunter College. Around the same time, he worked as research assistant at National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratories. Investigating fundamental and applied problems in condensed matter physics and materials science made up the bulk of his work. As if that wasn’t ambitious enough, he also experimented on X-ray beamlines on top of that.
From 2004-2010, he worked at the aerospace company Lockheed Martin. Over the course of his employment, he climbed up the ranks from Associate Member Engineering Staff to Full-time Senior Systems Engineer on Orbit Analysis and later Mission Analyst.
Afterwards, in 2010, the now highly-experienced space engineer changed jobs again. This time, he found himself Staff Systems Engineer on Space and Ground Systems at Vencore, which is part of Peraton today.
During what Michael Benjamin calls, “the height of his engineering career” in 2008, he was suddenly faced with a devastating diagnosis: cancer. Further medical checkups later revealed that he suffered from an underlying condition of scleroderma, which might have played a role in causing the cancer.
Initially, Benjamin feared that his time would run out within the next 5 years, but he never gave up and faced his disease head-on. He regularly provides workshops where he speaks about this disease, incorporating physics, engineering, and technology into the mix. He relates issues such as healthcare and pharmaceuticals in a forward-thinking and positive perspective, in the hopes to elevate some of the fear and spark hope in fellow scleroderma and cancer patients.
His journey is often an inspirational story he shares with other organisations, and even created a website dedicated to this topic. 14 years after his first diagnosis, he still speaks as an advocate for other patients, showing them that with enough determination, they can still go far.
“With all this experience and the related endeavours I have been involved with, I felt it was time to speak up about it all. Speak as an advocate, speak to patient groups to help patients understand this disease more and help solve the problems that come with it, from disability and insurance, to managing daily life.
I am here to make a positive difference in the lives of the Scleroderma community around the world." - Michael Benjamin
After working in the space industry for most of his life, Benjamin took a broader approach to his passion in 2015 when he founded The Science Mic. This website provides daily news coverage for scientific research, technology, physics, artificial intelligence (AI) and bioengineering. As of publishing this article, it’s been online for more than 7 years.
In 2016, he was listed as founder and chief operations officer (COO) at AI Health. There, he helped create a longevity app that uses an AI assistant to guide patients through their healthcare journey. Functionalities included maintenance of well-being, prevention of physical and mental health issues, artificial intelligence-based diagnostics and treatment planning.
Two years later, in 2018, Benjamin was employed as Solution Architect at Neota Logic. In this role he conducted automation of expertise and workflow for the company.
From September 2019 to March 2020, he took on the role of analyst at NewSpace Global, the world's leading market analysis firm specialising in emerging commercial space opportunities.
Last, but not least, in 2019, his journey led him to Advanced Neural Biosciences (ANB), where he was named a research associate. ANB is a biomedical research company with seats in Portland, Oregon and Brooklyn, New York. Together, with its founder Aschwin de Wolf, Benjamin has done important work on low-temperature technologies such as cryopreservation. The group of scientists aims to find sustainable solutions for preserving ventral nervous tissue and whole brains for brain banking, as well as discover pharmacological drugs and study neurodegenerative diseases. Here, the experienced multi-field researcher came in direct contact with cryonics, and closely collaborated with Alcor on human cryopreservation and research projects.
Tomorrow Bio is grateful for Michael Benjamin’s collaborative efforts in cryopreservation and biostasis research. We are looking forward to seeing him at Biostasis2022. His personal expertise in biotech and other fields of science spans over multiple decades and is sure to bring some interesting insights to the conference.
If you want to learn more about the key figures in the field, check out Tomorrow Bio Insight. We have a series of interviews with figures in the sector, along with information about all things cryonics. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Discord, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Youtube for updates on Tomorrow Bio!
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