News from the Council of University of California Retiree Associations (CUCRA)
Luncheon Speaker- Carlos Valdez
Forensic Science Center, LLNL
Cattlemens Restaurant Tuesday Cost
2882 Kitty Hawk Rd Feb. 11th $ 40/person
Livermore, CA 94551, 11:00 AM
The speaker at our February luncheon will be Carlos Valdez of the Forensic Science Center at LLNL.
Carlos will talk about work being done at LLNL in development of medical countermeasures against Fentanyl. Fentanyl is a subject in the news almost every day. It is often an unknown component of street drugs and can lead to deadly overdoses. At LLNL we are evaluating Subetadex-α-methyl (SBX-Me) as an improved medical countermeasure for fentanyl and related opioids. We have found SBX-Me to be nontoxic and have a shorter recovery time compared to treatments currently approved by the FDA. Additionally, SBX-Me has a longer half-life (about 7.5 hours) than naloxone (30-80 minutes).
Carlos Valdez was born in Lima, Peru and came to the US in 1991 where after high school, went on to Florida International University (B.S. Chemistry, 2000) followed by the University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D. Chemistry, 2006). Currently his research involves the destruction using novel, regiospecific catalytic processes, and the development of medical countermeasures against chemical warfare agents and related toxic chemicals at the Forensic Science Center (FSC) at LLNL where he has been since 2009. He currently holds the position of Associate Program Leader for Research & Development at the FSC in the Global Security Directorate at LLNL.
About LLRA
The Livermore Lab Retirees Association (LLRA) is an organization for retired employees and spouses of retirees of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. LLRA is open to retirees from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, whether they are members of CalPERS, UCRS or the private retirement system of the LLC.
We generally have monthly luncheon meetings January through November where invited speakers cover topics from science at the Lab to community topics.
LLRA is a member of the The Council of University of California Retiree Associations (CUCRA), a consortium of the Retiree Associations of nine University of California campuses: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz; the three UC-managed National Laboratories: Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, and Los Alamos; and the Office of the President/Regents.
Livermore Laboratory Retiree Association
P.O. Box 2170, Livermore, CA 94551
info@livermorelabretirees.org | Tel: 925-443-9092
LLNL Links
Retiree Health Benefits
If you have any questions or problems with your LLNL retiree health benefits, first contact Empyrean (non-Medicare) or Via Benefits (Medicare). If Empyrean or Via Benefits cannot help you, you may contact the LLNL Benefits Office at 925-422-9955.
Empyrean – 844-750-5567
Via Benefits – 866-682-4841
2025 Retiree Open Enrollment Information
2025 Retiree Open Enrollment Guide (pdf format)
2025 Retiree Benefit Information - Links to all retiree resources
Survivor/Beneficiary Guide - Link to guide and checklist
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LLRA Board Members
Name Email
Julio C. Diaz Chair
Bill Bish Vice Chair
Board position open Membership Secretary
Nancy Mulligan Treasurer
Jeff Garberson CUCRA Reps
Julio Diaz Webmaster
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