X-Message-Number: 6134
Date:  Thu, 02 May 96 22:37:24 
From: Steve Bridge <>
Subject: Alcor loses its cryobiologist

To Cryonet
>From Steve Bridge, President
Alcor Life Extension Foundation
May 2, 1996

     Recently we announced that Alcor had hired Ukrainian scientist Sergei
Ochkur, PhD, as a part-time research cryobiologist.  Unfortunately, life
is never so simple.  After Dr. Ochkur worked at Alcor for three weeks,
that relationship changed significantly.

     Dr. Ochkur's other part-time job was at the Mayo Clinic in
Scottsdale, where he was doing animal care for a research project
involving laboratory mice.  When the Mayo Clinic staff found that Dr.
Ochkur's work at Alcor put him in proximity with some laboratory rats,
they insisted that he resign one job or the other.  Apparently it is Mayo
Clinic policy (common in animal care of this sort) that no one can be
around its lab animals if that person has been around other rodents (even
in the same building) in the previous *two weeks*.  The risk of cross-
infection and the destruction of a million dollar research study is just
too high.

     Dr. Ochkur's initial reaction was to leave Mayo and work with Alcor
full-time; but Mayo made a better counter-offer to add a second part-time
temporary research job with them.  Since Dr. Ochkur has a family to
support, he chose the best financial package.  For at least the next three
months, Dr. Ochkur will be employed only by the Mayo Clinic.

     Although he cannot come into Alcor's offices at all while he is
working with the animals at Mayo, Dr. Ochkur on his own will continue his
studies into the problems of cryonics.  We hope that he will be able to
help us as a consultant during the next few months (we'll visit at *his*
house), and perhaps Alcor will have the opportunity to hire him again in
the future for cryobiological research.



Stephen Bridge, President ()

Alcor Life Extension Foundation
Non-profit cryonic suspension services since 1972.
7895 E. Acoma Dr., Suite 110, Scottsdale AZ 85260-6916
Phone (602) 922-9013  (800) 367-2228   FAX (602) 922-9027
 for general requests
http://www.alcor.org


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