Johns Hopkins University was one of the first institutions in the country to establish biophysics as an independent discipline and to have a department dedicated to studying biology using the tools and approaches of physics and physical chemistry. The Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics has a long tradition of excellence in research and teaching, and of developing leaders in the scientific community.

The Biophysics Department is housed in Jenkins Hall, a modern research and teaching building on the Homewood Campus. It is a short walk to the departments of biology and chemistry, with which we work very closely. There are a wide variety of state-of-the-art, shared facilities available.

The department offers an undergraduate major and participates in two graduate programs, the Program in Molecular Biophysics (PMB) and the Program in Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology, and Biophysics (CMDB).

Research

Although the research programs of the faculty and students are diverse and varied, there are several recurring themes. The existence of these common underlying themes and interests enhances interaction among research laboratories, and helps give the department a leading status in these areas.

• High-Resolution Structure Determination of Macromolecules
• Determination of the Forces and Energetics that Determine Macromolecular Structure and Function
• The Study of Macromolecular Assembly, Allostery, and Regulation
• Quantitative Physiology