Graduate school is a challenging experience, and most students will need the support of faculty, university staff and support programs at one or more times during their journey through graduate school. The GPBC recommends that students take advantage of the following resources whenever they have questions or concerns of a either a professional or personal nature.

Sources of Support

GPBC Director: Dr. Stephen J. Gould (sgould@jhmi.edu,  443-847-9918, Phys. Bldg. rm 409) The GPBC Director is available to help students address their concerns, whether professional or personal, and can always be reached through the provided contact information.

GPBC Program Coordinator: Darlene Sutton (dsutton5@jhmi.edu, 410-955-3086, Phys. Bldg. rm 608) is available to help students with all administrative challenges, including scheduling, paperwork, and visa matters. The GPBC Administrator also tracks student progress and maintains records of all student DBO exams, thesis committee meetings, and annual IDPs.

GPBC Associate Director: Dr. Seth Margolis (smargol7@jhmi.edu, 410-502-5362, WBSB, rm 414) works closely with Dr. Gould to manage the program, and is also available to help students with any problems they may encounter.

Thesis Advisor: The student’s thesis advisor is their primary mentor, and is often the first person that students turn to for help with their questions and concerns.

Co-mentor: The student’s co-mentor is selected, in part, to provide each student with whatever professional, personal, or culturally relevant mentoring best meets the student’s needs.

Thesis Committee faculty: Students can also turn to members of their Thesis Committee, who can be particularly helpful due to their understanding of the student’s project and progress.

Director of the Department of Biological Chemistry: as Director of the Department, Dr. Michael Caterina, is uniquely positioned to help students with particularly sensitive matters that may ari

Rotation Advisors: Prior to selection of a thesis lab, each student’s rotation advisor is an outstanding resource for addressing issues that may arise.

Biological Chemistry Faculty: Students may turn to any BC faculty for help in addressing questions, problems or concerns.

Fellow students: Student peers can provide unique insights and guidance regarding the challenges of graduate school and navigating university administration.

Associate Dean for Graduate Biomedical Education: Dr. Peter Espenshade (peter.espenshade@jhmi.edu; 443-287-5026; Phys. Bldg., rm 107B) is a key contact who has extensive understanding of the issues faced by graduate students and is an outstanding source of information and advice.

Vice Dean for Education: As the person ultimately responsible for all educational activities within the School of Medicine, Dr. Roy Ziegelstein (rziegel@jhmi.edu, (410)-550-0523) is another resource for student questions and concerns.

Mistreatment: Learner mistreatment will not be tolerated. Students who wish to report an instance of mistreatment that they have either experienced or observed have multiple options. In case of emergency, always call 911.

  • If a student wishes to report an instance of mistreatment, they can do so by:
    • Reporting it directly to the Office of Institutional Equity (oie.jhu.edu)
    • Reporting it to ANY faculty member or other ‘responsible employee’ of the University, including mentors, co-mentors, program directors, department directors, and senior administrative staff. Students should know that these individuals have an absolute obligation under Johns Hopkins University policy to notify OIE of any instance of sexual harassment, violence, or discriminatory behavior based on ethnicity, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or other protected status.
  • If a student does NOT wish to report it, or is unsure of what reporting might entail, please make use of the information available at mistreatment-reporting.med.jhmi.edu. Also, consider contacting confidential resources (https://oie.jhu.edu/confidential-resources/), which include Safe at Hopkins (safeathopkins.org), JHU Sexual assault helpline (sexualassault.jhu.edu), or the Johns Hopkins Student Assistance Program (JHSAP), which can be reached online at http://www.jhsap.org/services/ or by phone at (443) 287-7000. JHSAP is a life management resource that can help you identify and manage challenging issues in healthy ways. JHSAP services are free and confidential, and there is no limit to the number of times you may access services during your academic career. Your spouse, partner, or child may also access JHSAP services. Services include:
    • Short-term counseling
    • Crisis response
    • Healthy relationship support
    • School-life coaching and adjustment
    • Educational workshops
    • Dean, faculty, and staff consultations