PhD in Pathobiology at Johns Hopkins University

Program Overview

Pathology is an integrative discipline that looks simultaneously at the whole organism and its component cells, tissues, and molecules to study the causes and mechanisms of disease. It is a discipline that strives to understand the mechanisms of disease at fundamental levels, and to apply this understanding to improve management of these diseases in the clinical setting. The Pathobiology Graduate Program provides a strong background in pathology and related basic sciences to prepare students for academic, research, teaching, and biotechnology careers.

Program of Study

The Graduate Program in Pathobiology of the Department of Pathology offers a program of study leading to the Ph.D. degree in Pathobiology.

The Program provides students with opportunities to elucidate the mechanisms and origins of human diseases through an integrative approach emphasizing systemic processes based on molecular and cellular pathologic underpinnings. Students are prepared with formalized classroom instruction in all general areas of disease mechanisms and undertake specialized training (including thesis research) one of five programmatic areas: Immunopathology; Microbiology & Infectious Disease; Neoplasia; Neuropathology; Vascular Biology & Hemostasis.

Applicants are not required to designate a specific programmatic area of interest at the time of application or matriculation, and laboratory rotations across multiple disciplines are typical for students in the Program. However, special funding opportunities may be available for applicants with commitment to a particular discipline.

Pathobiology encompasses fundamental and applied studies of the biological basis of disease. Like the discipline of pathology itself, it straddles the traditional basic and clinical sciences. Research in Pathobiology is typically aimed toward the discovery of the basic mechanisms that cause disease with the goal of developing fresh insights leading to improved treatments or preventative measures. Thus, the students in the Pathobiology program are prepared for careers in the translation of basic biological principles to solve specific disease problems.

Learner Mental Health and Well-Being

The health and wellness of students are of utmost importance to us here at Johns Hopkins. Students struggling with anxiety, stress, depression, or other well-being-related concerns, can contact the Johns Hopkins Student Assistance Program (JHSAP at jhsap.org). Additional resources are available at https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/getting-help. 

Students with a disability or any health issue may request accommodations and are encouraged to contact the School of Medicine Disabilities Services Coordinator for graduate students to discuss your specific needs (Kristina Nance, [email protected]).

Diversity and Inclusion

At Johns Hopkins we strive to be a model of a pluralistic society in which we acknowledge, embrace, and engage diverse identities, perspectives, and experiences. We seek to build and buttress an inclusive intellectual and physical environment to ensure that all members of our community know with certainty that they belong at Johns Hopkins. And we aspire to equitably share the benefits and burdens of dismantling persistent systemic barriers to individual and communal success.

We believe, fundamentally, that every person has equal dignity and worth, and our unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is rooted in this predicate principle. These core values are essential to our university's academic, research, and public service missions, and bolster our commitment to excellence. Our search for truth and knowledge for the good of humanity depends on bringing the greatest variety of viewpoints and voices to bear on the challenges before us as students, scholars, staff, neighbors, and citizens.

At the intersection of these values is justice. Over the course of history, our nation and university have breached the ideals of justice by discriminating on the basis of race; ethnicity; sex; gender identity and expression; religious belief and observance; disability; socio-economic status; veteran/military status and other factors. We recognize the painful truth that such discrimination has inflicted multigenerational harm and further disenfranchises members of our society. Although our polity and our institution have made meaningful progress, we are by no means past the injury and loss caused by discriminatory practices. 

Johns Hopkins assumes its responsibility as a leading research university to work to achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we hold ourselves accountable for our progress through transparency, open communication, and an ongoing, unflinching assessment of met and unmet needs.

More details and resources can be found at the following link: jhu.edu/diversitystatement

Facilities

Classroom instruction is conducted in the lecture, seminar, and conference rooms of the School of Medicine. Student research is conducted in the state-of-the-art research facilities of program faculty. These fully equipped laboratories support studies ranging from molecular, cellular, and physicochemical analyses through whole animal and informatics-based techniques. The Program takes special advantage of its clinical service laboratories and clinical activities to familiarize students with and provide resources for translational research.

Financial Aid

Candidates accepted into the Program are offered full support providing payment of tuition, health, dental and vision benefits as well as a stipend for the duration of their studies. For more details regarding financial aid opportunities, please visit their page at https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/som/offices/finaid/. 

Over about a 5 year period, our trainees achieve a deep working understanding of the biology of human aging and human diseases, as well as state-of-the-art and high-throughput experimental approaches related to human disease. We accomplish our mission through a curriculum and environment that are different and unique. We encourage change, creativity, and out-of-the-box reasoning. The intensive coursework during the first year of training is designed to build a foundation in contemporary molecular, cell and structural biology, signal transduction pathways, neurobiology, genetics and genomics, immunology, and bioinformatics, all filtered through the prism of human pathology and translational medicine. These classes along with 3 lab rotations, and oral presentations based on this work, culminate with the student selection of a thesis lab headed by a faculty member who is accredited for mentor-compliancy by institutional and programmatic review. 

A unique aspect of the program is the inclusion of translational rotations in a clinical pathology setting; these rotations directly reinforce the humanity, compassion, and importance of the student's research project to the ultimate goal of alleviating suffering caused by human diseases. Most students garner peer-reviewed publications during their training, and some successfully compete for NIH F31 individual training grants. Using coursework, supplemental library-based teaching tools, annual program retreats, as well as weekly journal clubs and discussion, scientific ethics, rigor, reproducibility, transparency and logic, and moral values are inculcated as Kantian categorical imperatives. The outstanding, interdisciplinary, and diverse programmatic and collaborative faculty and resource-rich environment act as catalysts for students to explore, thrive, and consolidate their novel research to launch their careers. 

Historically, pathobiology graduates are well-trained biomedical scientists and have successfully embraced varied career paths and leadership positions in academia (63%), industry (17%), medicine, clinical laboratory medicine, entrepreneurship, business, government, and science writing. The Graduate Program in Pathobiology strives for students to have an important, global impact on the pathologic basis of human disease and health-related research.