JHSPH Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Encyclopedia
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) was established in 1916, as the Department of Chemical Hygiene. That same year, the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health was founded, as it was named then. Today, the school is named the Bloomberg School of Public Health and is part of the Johns Hopkins University
in Baltimore
, Maryland
, United States
.
The Department has changed names three times in its history from the Department of Chemical Hygiene, when it was founded, to the Department of Biochemistry by the time Roger H. Herriott was its Chair in 1948, to the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology by the time Roger McMacken was its chair in 1990. Yet, since that time it has remained as the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
As of 2008, BMB is Chaired by Pierre A. Coulombe whom was previously at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
, Department of Biological Chemistry and the Department of Dermatology.
, B and D
, as well as the importance of trace metals in diets. McCollum was the chair of the department for 27 years, from 1917 until 1944. After stepping down as the Chair of the Department, McCollum went on to help establish the McCollum-Pratt Institute at the Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus.
(MHS), Master of Science
(ScM), and a Doctoral (PhD) degree. The MHS program is typically a one year long program and the ScM program takes about two years to complete.
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The Department has changed names three times in its history from the Department of Chemical Hygiene, when it was founded, to the Department of Biochemistry by the time Roger H. Herriott was its Chair in 1948, to the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology by the time Roger McMacken was its chair in 1990. Yet, since that time it has remained as the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
As of 2008, BMB is Chaired by Pierre A. Coulombe whom was previously at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , located in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., is the academic medical teaching and research arm of Johns Hopkins University. Hopkins has consistently been the nation's number one medical school in the amount of competitive research grants awarded by the National...
, Department of Biological Chemistry and the Department of Dermatology.
History
Elmer V. McCollum, the Department’s first Professor and Chair, discovered vitamin's AVitamin A
Vitamin A is a vitamin that is needed by the retina of the eye in the form of a specific metabolite, the light-absorbing molecule retinal, that is necessary for both low-light and color vision...
, B and D
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids. In humans, vitamin D is unique both because it functions as a prohormone and because the body can synthesize it when sun exposure is adequate ....
, as well as the importance of trace metals in diets. McCollum was the chair of the department for 27 years, from 1917 until 1944. After stepping down as the Chair of the Department, McCollum went on to help establish the McCollum-Pratt Institute at the Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus.
Division of Reproductive Biology
The Division of Reproductive Biology was established in the School of Public Health in 1972. With its emphasis on biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, physiology and genetics of reproductive processes. Prior to the Division becoming apart of BMB in 1998, it was apart of the Department of Population Dynamics, also at the School of Public Health. The research of the Division's faculty is both basic and applied, often extending from the molecule to the individual patient to the population. The current head of the Division is William W. Wright.Degree programs
BMB offers three degrees: Master of Health ScienceMaster of Health Science
The Master of Health Science degree is a specialized master’s degree. Depending on the department and specific area of study, the MHS degree provides opportunities for advanced study and research or prepares individuals to begin or advance their careers as public health professionals...
(MHS), Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
(ScM), and a Doctoral (PhD) degree. The MHS program is typically a one year long program and the ScM program takes about two years to complete.
Department Chairs
- Elmer V. McCollumElmer McCollumElmer Verner McCollum was an American biochemist known for his work on the influence of diet on health.-Life and education:McCollum was born on a farm near Fort Scott, Kansas, where he spent his first seventeen years...
(1917-1944) - Roger M. Herriott (1948-1975)
- Lawrence Grossman (1975-1990)
- Roger McMacken (1990-2008)
- Pierre A. Coulombe (2008-Present)