UltimApe

“I’m a cyborg slime-mold brain fungus piloting a complex exosuit made of flesh. Wandering scholar, and informavore.”

2 minute read

Citizen Scientist, DIY Biohacker & Systems Engineer, Shitposter

Bluesky • Twitter/X • LinkedIn • Vermont USA

Mission Statement

My goal is to use my background in systems engineering to tackle the most complex system I’ve encountered: human biology. As a community-funded researcher, I focus on solving tough health problems using an open-source, first-principles approach. I rely on Quantified Self methods and n-of-1 experiments to create and test new interventions, all driven by the long-term goal of making human hibernation a reality.

Areas of Expertise

Citizen Science & n-of-1 Health Research

Instead of simply accepting a diagnosis, my work begins by breaking complex health challenges down to their fundamental components. I ask: What do my genes say? What does my microbiome look like? What are the core mechanisms of this disease? This first-principles approach, combining Quantified Self methodologies with meticulous self-tracking, allows me to design and execute targeted n-of-1 experiments that yield actionable results. A core principle of my work is a commitment to open-source tools and data interoperability using standards like FHIR.

Systems Engineering & Decentralized Architectures

My background in computer engineering gives me the ability to build complete systems from the ground up—from low-level hardware and IT infrastructure to modern, decentralized applications. I have hands-on experience architecting and deploying complex, fault-tolerant solutions using P2P networks (GUN, IPFS), blockchain, and full-stack web development (Angular, Node.js).

Project Leadership & Community Building

I enjoy turning ambitious ideas into operational, funded projects. I’ve secured competitive grants (Balvi), built an engaged online community of thousands to support and share research, and have experience navigating extreme logistical hurdles to get work done. This includes managing projects, creating detailed proposals, and communicating complex scientific topics to a broad audience.

Key Research Initiatives

Independent Researcher & Science Communicator

October 2014 – Present

  • My work began as a personal mission to solve my own health challenges (autism, major depression) and grew into a community-funded research project that has successfully tackled major autistic comorbidities.

  • I designed and carried out a successful n-of-1 experimental Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT), which led to a full and sustained remission from Crohn’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis, and eventually a non-24-hour sleep wake disorder.

  • I applied the same research methods to help my partner resolve complex comorbidities, including Type II Diabetes and PCOS, enabling the cessation of numerous pharmaceuticals (semaglutide, levothyroxine, SNRIs, etc.) and reversing medication-resistant oral thrush and acute liver damage.

  • This work resulted in significant physiological improvements, including the reversal of sarcopenia, evidenced by an increase in grip strength from 40 lbs to over 120 lbs.

  • I’ve built a public brand as a Citizen Scientist, growing an engaged online community of over 6,000 followers on X/Twitter to fund and disseminate research.

Co-Founder & Operator, Praetor Labs

October 2010 – Present

  • I co-founded and manage operations for Praetor Labs, a private makerspace and R&D incubator located in Vermont. In our two-person, autonomous team, my work involves handling logistics, securing funding, and contributing to initiatives in decentralized systems and open-source hardware.

Project Viril: Open Source Fertility Testing

A Praetor Labs Initiative / July 2022 - Present (Stalled but Ongoing)

  • I co-led a research project to build a low-cost, open-source platform for at-home semen analysis, empowering citizen science in response to pandemic-related fertility concerns.

  • I led the development of a hardware platform based on the OpenFlexure microscope and an accompanying FHIR-compatible software framework for data analysis and interoperability.

  • Navigated extreme logistical and environmental challenges by designing and building a mobile, off-grid 3D printing and fabrication lab to keep the project going.

Grants & Funding

Balvi COVID-19 Relief Fund

2022

  • Received a grant from Balvi, Vitalik Buterin’s scientific investment and direct gifting fund, to pursue research for Project Viril.

Publications & Project Proposals

Project Viril: Exploring tools for low-cost at-home open source male fertility testing.

Praetor Labs, 2022

  • Authored a comprehensive project proposal outlining the scientific background, technical approach, and budget for developing an open-source fertility testing platform. Includes detailed progress and status reports.

Project Hephaestus: A Maker oriented proof-of-concept Internet of Things (IoT) network.

Internship Proposal for Eris Industries, 2015

  • Proposed a project to build a decentralized IoT device management system using a permissioned blockchain, which influenced subsequent R&D work at the company.

Technical Skills

  • Languages: Python, C/C++, C#, Perl 5, Java, Scala, SQL, Solidity, Bash

  • Web & Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Angular, Node.js, Paper.js

  • DevOps & IT: SaltStack, Ceph, GUN, IPFS, LAMP/Tomcat Admin, Kaseya VSA

  • Blockchain & Distributed Ledgers: Smart Contracts, Eris Stack / Hyperledger Burrow, Ethereum

  • Hardware & IoT: VHDL, Verilog, BeagleBone, Embedded Systems

  • Standards & Data: FHIR, XML, XPath, XSLT, Markdown

Professional History

Head of Research & Founding Employee, Self Research Institute

July 2019 – July 2021

  • As the first employee, I helped set the R&D direction for a dual-entity organization focused on bridging non-profit research with for-profit product development.

  • I prototyped a fault-tolerant, decentralized personal health record system using GNU Health on Raspberry Pis, engineered with Python and SaltStack for auto-failover, and designed a durable storage layer using Ceph, IPFS, and GUN to manage and securely share FHIR-compliant data.

Blockchain R&D Intern, Eris Industries (now Monax)

May 2015 – July 2015

  • Modernized my university senior project by rebuilding it as a proof-of-concept IoT network on a private, permissioned blockchain (Eris Stack, now Hyperledger Burrow).

  • I developed smart contracts in Solidity, engineered a message-passing architecture for IoT devices, and built a Node.js interface for monitoring the network.

Software Engineer, Systems & Software Inc.

February 2013 – November 2013

  • I helped maintain and enhance industry-leading Customer Information Systems (CIS) and Utility Billing Solutions.

  • My work involved software development, maintenance, and bug fixes on both legacy platforms (COBOL, AIX) and modern web systems (GWT, ICEfaces).

Service Desk Technician, All-Access Infotech LLC.

September 2011 – August 2012

  • I managed IT remotely for diverse clients, including private schools and HIPAA-compliant healthcare clinics.

  • I implemented Kaseya VSA for automated workflow management and maintained Zultys integrated IP phone systems.

Education

B.S. in Computer Engineering, Vermont Technical College

Graduated: December 2009

Vermont Academy of Science & Technology (VAST)

Graduated: 2005, with honors

  • An accelerated program where the first year of college serves as the final year of high school.