Josh Travers

Joshua Gregory Travers, age 35, lost his life in a tragic automobile accident in Larimer County while returning home from an afternoon ride to Cheyene, Wyoming. His wife, Jessica, also sustained multiple serious injuries in the accident and is recuperating at home after her hospitalization and rehabilitation stays.

Josh was born in Rochester, New York, and in his early life earned a junior black belt in karate; competed in the Junior Olympics after qualifying by winning a gold medal in a regional karate competition in New York; was co-captain of his high school tennis team and continued in tennis during college; swam on the high school swim team; ran cross-country; played violin, trumpet, and guitar (including guitar lessons at the Eastman School of Music); grew up with his rottweiler, Carly; and won the “Best Overall” award one year in the Pinewood Derby competition while in the cub scouts. In later years (if his way too busy work schedule allowed), Josh enjoyed playing golf, following his favorite sports teams, and playing video games. He was also in the middle of updating his house, as these activities offered him a chance to get away from the computer for a while.

He attended Rochester Institute of Technology where he met Jess in their freshman year together. They both graduated in 2011 with Bachelor of Science degrees. Josh’s degree was a BS Biotechnology with High Honors with participation in the RIT Honors Program and the Research Scholars Program. He then began his PhD program at the University of Rochester Medical Center and transferred in 2012 to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center where he received his Doctor of Philosophy, Pharmacology, in 2017.

From then until now, he has been a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus where his fibrosis research has been recognized widely throughout the medical community. He has participated in the preparation of twenty-eight published manuscripts, of which he was first author for ten. His manuscripts have appeared in top journals including Circulation, JACC, and JCI, and they have been cited by others multiple times, with 1725 citations alone for his most known publication, Cardiac Fibrosis: The Fibroblast Awakens. Among his extensive list of Honors and Awards, the NIH NHLBI K99 Pathway to Independence Award, the Evangelia (Litsa) G. Kranias Junior Competition Award Finalist, and the Gill Heart and Vascular Institute Early Career Award, represent his more prominent achievements.

Recently, as co-founder and CEO, he established Fibrolytix Bio, a startup company utilizing a novel anti-fibrotic discovery engine and by integrating autonomous AI-driven analytics with phenotypic screening in primary human cells, the goal of which is to rapidly identify and validate new therapeutic candidates to treat fibrotic diseases across organ systems.

Josh is survived by his wife, Jess; his parents, Dianne and Greg Travers; Dianne’s siblings, Donna, Bob, Darlene, and their families; his uncle, Richard Travers and his family; and Josh and Jess’ dogs, Layla, Luna, and Ava. Josh and Jess frequently fostered abandoned animals through their association with Pawsitive Restorations Animal Rescue. They adopted Luna and Ava through the Rescue, and they fostered Laney who became Greg and Dianne’s adopted puppy and is now a blessing for them.

Josh touched so many hearts (both figuratively and literally through his research) and he will always be in our thoughts and prayers. It is our wish that the research he has started with Fibrolytix Bio will someday materialize into medications that will save lives and establish his legacy forever. Love you, Josh.