Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP)

Diversity Programs: School of Medicine Post-Baccalaureate Program

Our Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) will accept applications from November 15, 2019 through February 15, 2020 (12 midnight EST). Top candidates will be interviewed. Those who accept our offer will visit in April/May to meet with potential research mentors. Program activities start in June/July.

Applications will be accepted from Nov. 15, 2019 through February 15, 2020.

PREP Provides:

Research experience: Scholars conduct hypothesis-driven research in their Mentor’s lab, with day-to-day guidance by an experienced PhD student or postdoc. Scholars participate fully in weekly lab meetings, attend weekly research seminars in their department, attend a vibrant PhD program retreat and a national conference of their choice.
Community: Scholars come together each month for two-hour ‘chalk-talk’ events to present and discuss their research with Peer-Mentors (PhD students, postdocs) and faculty.
Project (‘mini-thesis’) meetings: Scholars gain confidence by organizing, preparing for, and convening three one-hour ‘mini-thesis’ meetings with two subject-expert faculty, plus their research mentor and the PREP Director. Scholars benefit both scientifically and professionally by building strong working relationships with multiple faculty members at Johns Hopkins who are experts in their field of interest.
Professional training and custom mentoring: Scholars participate in workshops designed to improve their scientific writing skills, and understand ethics in science, and can choose from many other workshops including communication and improvisation. Each Scholar charts an individual development plan with the PREP Director, with custom mentoring both formal (monthly one-hour meetings) and informally as needed.
Preparation for GRE or MCAT exam, graduate school applications and interviews.
Annual salary of $34,000 plus health, retirement, tuition and other benefits

Who Should Apply:

US Citizens or Permanent Residents with a keen interest in entering a PhD or MD/PhD program from populations under-represented in the Biomedical Sciences.
College seniors or recent graduates with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science— including but not limited to biochemistry, bioinformatics, biology, biomedical engineering, biophysics, chemistry, cell biology, computational sciences, genetics, mathematics, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, tissue engineering, virology and related fields.

We consider a variety of factors that demonstrate scientific potential and motivation for PhD careers. Applicants should have strong grades in science and math (GPA 3.3 or better)— or a strong upward trajectory in science/math grades. Exceptions may be made for students with research experience.

Please contact PREP-DDP@jhmi.edu for questions about PREP eligibility or general application questions.

Meet our PREP Scholars!

		Jesús Acevedo-Cintrón BS (Cell & Molecular Biology) 2015, University of Puerto Rico Johns Hopkins PREP-2015 with mentor Ted Dawson (http://neuroscience.jhu.edu/research/faculty/19) Current: MD/PhD student at Washington University (St Louis, MO)

		Christopher Anderson BS (Biology) 2015, University of St. Thomas (Texas) Johns Hopkins PREP-2015 with mentor Jennifer Ellisseff (http://cmm.jhmi.edu/index.php/cmm-faculty/jennifer-h-elisseeff-ph-d/ ) Current: Biologic & Biomedical Sciences PhD student at Yale with mentor Yibing Qyang (https://medicine.yale.edu/stemcell/people/yibing_qyang.profile )

		James D. Barnett BS (Biomedical Sciences) 2012, Auburn University (Alabama) US Fulbright Scholar (Spain) 2013-2014 Johns Hopkins PREP-2015 with mentor Robert Ivkov (http://mrs.radonc.jhmi.edu/content/ivkov/default.aspx ) US Fulbright Scholar (Spain) 2013-2014 Current: CMM PhD student at Johns Hopkins with mentor Zaver Bhujwalla (http://cmm.jhmi.edu/index.php/cmm-faculty/zaver-m-bhujwalla/ )

		Alyssa Florwick BS (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology) 2015, University of Maryland, Baltimore County with mentor Michael Summers (https://chemistry.umbc.edu/faculty/michael-summers/ ) Johns Hopkins PREP-2015 with mentor Katherine Wilson (https://bcmb.bs.jhmi.edu/people/faculty/katherine-wilson ) Current: Biochemistry PhD student at Duke with mentor Michael Boyce (https://www.boycelab.org/ )

		Jean Garcia-Diaz BS (Microbiology) 2015, Turabo University (Puerto Rico) Johns Hopkins PREP-2015 with mentor Erika Matunis (https://bcmb.bs.jhmi.edu/people/faculty/erika-matunis ) Current: CMM PhD student at Johns Hopkins with mentor Ryan Riddle (http://cmm.jhmi.edu/index.php/cmm-faculty/ryan-c-riddle-phd/ )

		Elsie Gonzalez-Hurtado BS (Biochemistry) 2015, University of California, Riverside Johns Hopkins PREP-2015 with mentor Michael Wolfgang (https://bcmb.bs.jhmi.edu/people/faculty/michael-wolfgang ) Current: MD/PhD student at Yale with mentor Vishwa Deep Dixit (https://medicine.yale.edu/immuno/people/vishwa_dixit-1.profile)

		Kevin Justus BA (Psychology) 2014, University of Central Florida Johns Hopkins PREP-2015 with mentors Susan Courtney (https://pbs.jhu.edu/directory/susan-courtney/ ) and Veit Stuphorn (https://pbs.jhu.edu/directory/veit-stuphorn/ ) Current: Neuroscience PhD student, Wake Forest University

		Ismael Munoz BS (Bioengineering) 2015, University of California, San Diego Johns Hopkins PREP-2015 with mentor Daniela Drummond-Barbosa (https://www.jhsph.edu/faculty/directory/profile/2213/daniela-drummond-barbosa ) Current: Bioengineering PhD student, UC San Diego

		Lauren Askew BS (Biology) 2016, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Johns Hopkins PREP-2016 with mentor Janice Clements (http://cmm.jhmi.edu/index.php/cmm-faculty/janice-clements-phd/ ) Current: MD/PhD student at Emory University (North Carolina)

		Chelsy R. Eddings BA (Molecular & Cellular Biology; Neurobiology) 2016, University of California, Berkeley Johns Hopkins PREP-2016 with mentor Christopher Ross (http://neuroscience.jhu.edu/research/faculty/74 ) Current: BCMB PhD student at Johns Hopkins with mentor Shigeki Watanabe (https://cellbio.jhmi.edu/people/faculty/shigeki-watanabe-phd )

		Elizabeth Henderson BA (Biophysics) 2013, Hunter College (New York) Johns Hopkins PREP-2016 with mentor Robert Ivkov (http://mrs.radonc.jhmi.edu/content/ivkov/default.aspx ) Current: PMB PhD student at Johns Hopkins

		Adriana Landeros BS (Molecular Cell Developmental Biology) 2016, University of California, Santa Cruz Johns Hopkins PREP-2016 with mentor Tamara O’Connor (https://bcmb.bs.jhmi.edu/people/faculty/tamara-oconnor ) National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Current: Microbiology PhD student at Northwestern University (Chicago)

		Arena Manning BA (Neuroscience) 2016, Skidmore College (Saratoga Springs, NY) Johns Hopkins PREP-2016 with mentor Barbara Slusher (https://drugdiscovery.jhu.edu/about-us/people/barbara-slusher/ ) Current: Neuroscience PhD student, University of Washington (Seattle) with mentor Franck Kalume (https://www.seattlechildrens.org/directory/franck-k-kalume/ )

		Caitlin Corona-Long BS (Psychology) 2016, University of Oregon Johns Hopkins PREP-2017 with mentors Michaela Gallagher (https://sites.krieger.jhu.edu/gallagher-lab/ ) and Arnold Bakker (https://bakkerlab.johnshopkins.edu/ ) Current: Psychology PhD student, Johns Hopkins with mentor Michaela Gallagher (https://sites.krieger.jhu.edu/gallagher-lab/

		Cera Hassinan BS (Neuroscience) 2017, Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore) Johns Hopkins PREP-2017 with mentor Charlotte Sumner (http://cmm.jhmi.edu/index.php/cmm-faculty/charlotte-sumner-md/ ) Native Circle: http://caih.jhu.edu/training/scholars/cera-hassinan Starting Fall 2019: Molecular & Cellular Biology PhD student, University of Washington (Seattle) ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) Foundation Scholarship (https://www.arcsfoundation.org/ )

		Ambar Jimenez BS (Biology) 2016, State University New York, Plattsburgh Johns Hopkins PREP-2017 with mentor Rangaramanujam Kannan (http://kannangroup.com/ ) Starting 2019: Pharmacology PhD student, University of Pennsylvania

		Cyrianne S. Keutcha BS (Biochemistry), 2017, Georgia State University Johns Hopkins PREP-2017 with mentor Sean Prigge (https://pmb.jhu.edu/directory/sean-prigge/ ) National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Current: PhD student, Harvard School of Public Health with mentor Manoj Duraisingh (https://sites.sph.harvard.edu/duraisingh-lab/ )

		Alejandra Patino BS (Neural Science) 2017, New York University Johns Hopkins PREP-2017 with mentors Gül Dölen (http://www.dolenlab.org/) and Loyal Goff (https://bcmb.bs.jhmi.edu/people/faculty/loyal-goff) Starting Fall 2019: MD/PhD student at Duke University School of Medicine

		Melissa E. Fajardo BS (Biological Science) 2016, Florida International University Johns Hopkins PREP-2018 with mentor Nicholas Maragakis (http://cmm.jhmi.edu/index.php/cmm-faculty/nicholas-j-maragakis-md/ ) Starting Fall 2019: Neuroscience PhD student, Northwestern University (Chicago)

		Kelly A. Fogelson BS (Neuroscience) 2017, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Johns Hopkins PREP-2018 with mentor Kishore Kuchibhotla (https://pbs.jhu.edu/directory/kishore-kuchibhotla/ ) Starting Fall 2019: Biomedical Sciences PhD student, UC San Diego

		Gabriella Muwanga BS (Biomedical Sci), 2018, Makerere University (Uganda) Johns Hopkins PREP-2018 with mentor Michael Caterina (https://bcmb.bs.jhmi.edu/people/faculty/michael-caterina-0 ) Starting Fall 2019: Neuroscience PhD student at Stanford University

		Diego R. Ramos Ortiz BS (Chemistry) 2018, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Johns Hopkins PREP-2018 with mentor James M. Berger (http://biophysics.med.jhmi.edu/people/james-m-berger/) Starting Fall 2019: Biophysics PhD student at UC Berkeley

		Jordan Wilson BS (Genetics & Genomics) 2018, University of California, Davis Johns Hopkins PREP-2018 with mentor Patrick Cahan (https://www.bme.jhu.edu/faculty_staff/patrick-cahan-phd/ ) Starting Fall 2019: XDBio PhD student at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

		Aitana Azurmendi BE (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences) 2019, Cornell University (New York) Johns Hopkins PREP-2019 with mentor Sandra Gabelli (http://biophysics.med.jhmi.edu/people/sandra-b-gabelli/ )

		Dezmond Cole BS (Biology) 2019, University of Montevallo (Alabama) Johns Hopkins PREP-2019 with mentor Brendan Cormack (https://www.mbg.jhmi.edu/people/faculty/brendan-cormack )

		Sergio L. Crespo BS (Chemistry) 2019, New Jersey City University Johns Hopkins PREP-2019 with mentor Jungsan Sohn (http://biophysics.med.jhmi.edu/people/jungsan-jay-sohn/ )

		Hannah Navarrete BS (Biochemistry) 2019, University of California Riverside wit Johns Hopkins PREP-2019 with mentor Erika Matunis (https://cellbio.jhmi.edu/people/faculty/erika-matunis-phd )

		Kyndall Nicholas BS (Biochemistry) 2019, Hampton University (Virginia) Johns Hopkins PREP-2019 with mentor Keri Martinowich (https://bcmb.bs.jhmi.edu/people/faculty/keri-martinowich )

		Jareb J. Pérez BS (Medical Microbiology) 2019, University of Puerto Rico, Arecibo Johns Hopkins PREP-2019 with mentor Dionna Williams (http://mcp.bs.jhmi.edu/people/dionna-w-williams-phd )

		Alexa Perez-Torres BS (Biology) 2019, University of Puerto Rico, Cayey Johns Hopkins PREP-2019 with mentor Loyal Goff (https://bcmb.bs.jhmi.edu/people/faculty/loyal-goff )

		Yishak Woldestsadik BS (Cell & Molecular Biology) 2019, Towson University (Maryland) Johns Hopkins PREP-2019 with mentor Sabra Klein (https://www.jhsph.edu/faculty/directory/profile/1038/sabra-l-klein )