专业描述

In the 21st century, new fields of scientific inquiry are emerging at a breathtaking pace. In the biological sciences, emphasis will be increasingly on quantitation and prediction of living systems—precisely the focus of biophysics. Biophysics is a discipline that sits at the interface between biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computation, and engineering. It is uniquely well suited for the study of biology in the post-genomic era. Besides its role in contributing fundamental understanding of the properties of molecules, cells, and complex biological systems, biophysics is also central to the development of novel medical technologies and to the bioengineering and biopharmaceutical industry. Biophysics was first established as an independent discipline at Johns Hopkins. The Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics has a remarkable tradition of excellence in research and teaching and of developing leaders in the scientific community. The undergraduate major in biophysics constitutes a rigorous program of study that will help students develop the broad set of skills in science, math, and computation necessary to compete in the interdisciplinary environment of modern science, medicine, and engineering. The biophysics major emphasizes independent thinking and critical reasoning, problem-solving skills, and it teaches students how to move with ease across disciplines. Biophysics majors follow many different professional paths after leaving Hopkins. A very large number of biophysics majors are accepted each year to medical schools in the nation. Biophysics majors also enter highly ranked graduate programs in biophysics, cell biology, public health, physiology, computational, quantitative and systems biology, biomedical engineering, and neuroscience. Many of our graduates are active in biomedical research, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical R&D. Others pursue degrees in law or environmental sciences, or become involved in consulting, governmental regulatory agencies, science education, science journalism, and other fields.