John Krolak:  

After leaving Mount Vernon High School, I went to Virginia Commonwealth University where I earned my B.S. and M.S. degrees (Biology/Physiology: Invertebrate zoology and Environmental Science). I then had the opportunity, in 1977, to pursue my PhD. I decided to go to Oklahoma State University, in Stillwater, OK. Here, I spent four years researching the physiology and biochemistry of the salivary glands of the Lone Star tick. I was fortunate during my research studies to discover a never before seen cell in these salivary glands. I decided to name it, the ‘constrictor cell’. This was based on our observations of microfilaments and other cellular structures that would suggest that this cell had some constriction activity (used to expel the fluid that the tick had in its salivary glands i.e., mouthparts). Subsequent to earning my PhD, I pursued an NIH Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Texas. Here, I was able to obtain further research training and skills in the areas of Biochemistry and Cell Biology. During this period of time, I met my future wife, Janet Koehler. She was working as a strategic planner at the local electric utility company, Houston Lighting and Power. So, after completing 4 years of training as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, I was then commissioned as a Captain (BSC – Biomedical Science Corps) in the USAF. We moved to Maryland and lived in Silver Spring. My first duty assignment was as a biochemist at the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFFRI) in Bethesda, MD. Here, I was a part of a large group of scientists and veterinarians whose mission was to develop a drug for pilots who would be involved in a 'limited' nuclear engagement (a proposed DoD scenario). Due to the high level of radiation, in this 'limited' engagement, the military was concerned about the level of radiation that the pilots would be exposed to. The consequence of this exposure would c...Expand for more