This weekend, two young girls watched in horror as their father, Tristan Beaudette, was shot and killed while on a camping trip in Southern California. He had taken his daughter’s camping so his wife, a doctor, could study for an exam.

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Beaudette, 35, of Irvine, Calif., was bleeding from a chest wound when deputies found him in a tent early Friday at a Malibu Creek State Park campsite. The girls were unharmed.1

Thank you to Anne Murphy (my friend) for the following info:

Beaudette held the Associate Director position at Allergan Pharmaceuticals, and oversaw development of some of their later stage clinical trials, including sustained release combination products and intra-ocular implants for the company.

However, 3 years prior to his current position, Tristan Beaudette was involved in the technical assessment of PLA/PLGA the foundation for the next generation protein-based nanoparticle vaccines. Next Generation vaccines that are being studied, for example, to treat certain conditions like Cancer and HIV.  Known technically as Biodegradable Polymeric Nanoparticle-Based Vaccines, the technology has recently been hailed as “The Best Hope for Eliminating the HIV Epidemic”1, a “Next Generation Delivery Agent”1 that could provide “Optimal Immune Induction”1.  It has been lauded as a novel vaccine strategy that can induce potent immune responses yet relatively safe from a research perspective. Nanomaterials like PLA (polylactic acid) and PLGA (polylactic glycolic acid) are currently being used as vaccine adjuvants and delivery carriers.  The long-term safety of these potential vaccines is unknown and currently being studied. (Click here to see Beaudette’s published articles on PubMed- HE’S LISTED AS “Beaudette TT”.)

Tristan did his Graduate Work at Berkeley and Post Doctorate Fellow at USC sponsored by Allergan. His work at Berkeley focused on “leading a team of chemists, immunologists, and biologists in the design of novel protein-based vaccine formulations”2, and published a paper “In Vivo Studies on the Effect of Co-Encapsulation of CpG DNA and Antigen in Acid Degradable Micro-Particle Vaccines”. 3

(We aren’t sure if he took an anti-vax stance, but some of the papers he authored questioned the safety of vaccines and it seemed he was working toward improving them, much like Aaron Traywick who was attempting to do the same thing, via sidestepping the FDA and use gene therapy to “cure” cancer, HIV, and more.)

At this time, there are no leads, no suspect, and no motive but detectives are working the case as a homicide. Lt. Rodney Moore of the L.A. County Sheriff’s said, “We are gathering evidence … It will take some time.”2

According to the LA Times, the area where the shooting happened is frequented by hikers and day trekkers.

We are so sorry for their loss. A GoFundMe has been set up for the family. Please give as you are able.

Sources and References

  1. Fox News, June 24, 2018.
  2. Fox News, June 24, 2018.