Hugh Hixon

Hugh commenced employment at Alcor in 1982 as the Facilities Engineer. He is in charge of technology application and development, systems maintenance, and institutional memory research applications. Hugh has participated in a record number of cryopreservation.

Hugh is the inventor of the “crack phone”, a device that determines cracking temperature and degree of cracking, first with glycerol perfusion, and now with new cryoprotectant and vitrification systems. He is the initial fabricator of the Bigfoot Patient Pod System and modified the MVE Bigfoot dewar design for simpler manufacture. Hugh designed and was instrumental in constructing the Patient Care LN2 Bulk Fill System, in addition to conceiving, designing, and constructing the LN2 Vacuum Transfer System and the LN2 Vapor Cloud Extractor. He is the designer and builder of the Mobile Advanced Rescue Cart (MARC), and was involved in the construction of its predecessor, the Cryovita Labs Mobile Advanced Life Support System (MALSS).

Hugh served as a Captain in the United States Air Force from 1965 until 1972 as an Aerospace Munitions Officer. He was stationed at Nellis AFB, Taegu AFB in Korea, and Canon AFB. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Redlands and an M.S. in Biochemistry from California State University at Long Beach. Hugh is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Space Access, and Alcor.