Picture of Johns Hopkins Dome Johns Hopkins - Health, Safety & Environment Department  
 

Divisions

Home

Emergency

Manuals

Guidance Documents

Forms

Frequently Asked Questions

Director's Office
Safety Management
Biosafety
Institutional Biosafety Committee
Occupational Health
East Baltimore
Homewood
Worker's Compensation Office
Case Management
Environmental Health
Occupational Injury Clinic
Center for Occupational and Environmental Health
Radiation Safety



Mission/Goals | Services | Recombinant DNA Registration | Human Subjects Gene Transfer Pathogen Protocol Registration | Human Tissue, Pathogen, and Toxin RegistrationSelect Agent RegistrationBiological Safety Cabinet Program | Training | Important Links | Contact Information | Staff | Forms | Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

The Biosafety Office assists the Hopkins community in maintaining a safe work environment that is compliant with federal, state and community regulations. Our goal is to serve as a technical knowledgebase and training resource for biological safety issues on campus.

Back to Top

The following services are provided to the Hopkins community through the Biosafety Office:

  • Recombinant DNA Registration
  • Infectious Agent/Pathogen Registration
  • Biological Toxin Registration
  • Human Tissue Registration
  • Select Agent Registration
  • Registration of Clinical Protocols Involving the Introduction of Recombinant DNA, Infectious Agents/Pathogens, and/or Biological Toxins in Human Subjects
  • Biological Safety Cabinet Certification and Maintenance
  • Annual Research Laboratory Safety Surveys
  • Biosafety Training Modules for Laboratory Personnel and Interested Support Staff

Back to Top

All research involving the use or manipulation of recombinant DNA must be registered with the Biosafety Office in order to maintain compliance with institutional and federal regulations.
The Recombinant DNA Registration form is available online at this link.

Once registered, experiments considered "exempt" as defined within the NIH Guidelines may be initiated upon notification from this office. Under normal circumstances the investigator can expect notification within a few days of submission.

All "non-exempt" research must be reviewed by the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). Experiments requiring IBC review may not be initiated until a formal letter of approval is received by the investigator. IBC meetings occur monthly to bi-monthly depending on the volume of submissions under consideration.

Back to Top

Studies that involve the use of Recombinant DNA or potentially Pathogenic agents in human subjects must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).

Investigators who intend to submit a human pathogen or gene transfer protocol to the Johns Hopkins Institutional Review Board (IRB) should contact the Biosafety Officer for IBC submission details.

Back to Top

Research involving the use of human and human-derived tissue, infectious agents/pathogens, or toxins must be registered with the Biosafety Office in order to maintain compliance with institutional and federal regulations.
The Human Tissue, Pathogen, and Toxin Registration form is available online at this link.

Human tissue includes tissue samples and/or blood from patients, volunteers, or cadavers as well as human-derived cells in tissue culture. Common laboratory cell lines including HEK293 and Hela are not exempt and must be registered.

Infectious agents and pathogens include all bacterial, viral, and fungal agents with potential for vertical or horizontal transmission. "Host-specific" viruses and viral vectors commonly used for gene transfer must also be registered. This includes, but is not limited to, adenovirus, MuLV, and other commercially available or investigator-generated modified lentiviral and retroviral-based vectors.

Back to Top

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have identified bacteria, viruses, toxins, rickettsia, and fungi that pose a potential threat to public health or welfare. These organisms are considered Select Agents and High Consequence Livestock Pathogens and Toxins.

Laboratories currently in possession of, or intending to obtain select agents must be registered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the Biosafety Office and must adopt security and control measures acceptable to the governing authorities. Contact the Biosafety Officer for more information on the current status of these emergent regulations.

Back to Top

Biological Safety Cabinets (BSCs) must be certified on an annual basis at minimum. Certain environmental or laboratory conditions may necessitate more frequent certifications.

The Biosafety Office maintains a professional in-house certification and maintenance team headed by an NSF accredited specialist. Our BSC team operates as a service center for the Hopkins community and, thus, is able to provide rapid response service "at cost" resulting in significantly reduced investigator fees and equipment down-time.

Annual BSC certifications and any required maintenance may be scheduled by contacting the Biosafety Office at the address below. Further information regarding BSCs is available at this link.

The Biosafety Office serves as a resource for the purchase and/or maintenance of your BSC.  To ensure system adequacy, all BSC purchases must be vetted through this office. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.

Frequently Asked Questions

Back to Top

The Biosafety Office offers training and training materials on a number of topics. Click on an item of interest or contact us directly  for more information.

Back to Top

Back to Top

The Biological Safety Office is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM

Johns Hopkins Medicine
2024 E. Monument Street
Suite B-200
Baltimore, MD 21205
Office 410.955.5918
Fax 410.955.5929

Back to Top

Management Team

Stephen C. Dahl, Ph.D., RBP
Biosafety Officer
sdahl@jhu.edu

Weiying Pan, Ph.D.
Associate Biosafety Officer
wpan@jhu.edu

Tylicia R. McRae
Institutional Biosafety Committee
Administrative Assistant II
tmcrae@jhmi.edu

Kathy A. Cook
Administrative Assistant
kcook6@jhmi.edu

Biological Safety Cabinet Certification/ HEPA Filtration Team

Tamie Maier
Biosafety Cabinet Service Coordinator
tmaier2@jhmi.edu

Timothy Travers
Supervisor, Biological Safety Cabinet Certification
Biological Safety Cabinet Certifier, NSF
 
Bryan Kahler
Biological Safety Cabinet Certifier, NSF
 
Arthur Speth
Biological Safety Cabinet Certifier, NSF
 
Robert Williams
Biological Safety Cabinet Assistant

Laboratory Safety Team

Jack Barrett
Research Safety Specialist
jbarret1@jhmi.edu 

Elise A. Hopkins, HEM
Research Safety Specialist
ehopkins@jhmi.edu 

Back to Top

   
© Copyright 2001 | All Rights Reserved | Disclaimer
Johns Hopkins Institutions Health Safety & Environment
600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205 USA
Phone 410.955.5918
Fax 410.955.5929