William Schleif, Ph.D., MS, MT

William Schleif is the scientific director of the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Pediatric Biorepository Facility and is co-director of the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Pediatric Biospecimen Innovation Center. He is also an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He has over 20 years of combined experience working in translational research and the clinical laboratory sciences. He is currently the Director-at-Large, Americas, for the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER).

Robert Follett Jr., B.S., M.T.

Robert Follett, B.S. joined the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Biorepository team in April 2018 after a long connection to the hospital. He joined the staff for the first time in 1995 as an intern in the Immunoparameters Laboratory run by Dr. N.K. Day. He worked closely with Dr. Robert A. Good, a pioneer in bone marrow transplants, in various RNA and DNA manipulations, including ribonuclease protection assays, RT-PCR, PCR and sequencing. After becoming a full staff member in 1996, he worked in the Immunoparameters lab until August 1999. After outside stints as a medical technologist, in retail sales and at the nearby Children’s Research Institute, he returned Johns Hopkins All Children’s in 2015 and worked in the immunology section of the clinical lab specializing in flow cytometry and molecular procedures before joining the Biorepository. Robert earned a bachelor's of science in molecular biology from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor of arts in Studio Arts from the University of Pittsburgh.

Diana Skapura, B.S., HTL(ASCP)CM

Diana Skapura joined the Tissue-Based Diagnosis and Research Core in 2019 after serving as a histotechnologist II at Largo Medical Center for over a year. She has worked in research for 25 years, with 15 years of experience in histology.

She joined Johns Hopkins All Children’s in 1999 as a medical technologist in the immunoparameters laboratory. In 2001, she transferred to the Molecular Genetics Lab of Gary Litman, Ph.D., as a laboratory coordinator. In this lab utilizing multiple species, she was doing histology and sequencing on multiple platforms, as well as additional molecular techniques. She then joined the Molecular Determinants Core, where she processed samples for HPLC and mass spectrometry analysis, and assisted in getting the new lab equipped.

Before joining the hospital, she was a staff biologist with Mote Marine Laboratory. She contributed to improving techniques for culturing larval fish, by evaluating egg quality and dose response for hormone induction of ovulation.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in zoology from the University of South Florida and earned her certification in histotechnology in 2018. She is certified by ASCP and licensed by the state of Florida as a histotechnologist. She also holds a licensure in serology. She has authorship on posters, presentations, and publications.

Bryan Lopes, M.S.

Bryan Lopes joined Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in 2014. During his time, he has contributed to process standardization and improvement to help develop the pediatric biorepository into a College of American Pathologists accredited core. Bryan also shares his particular expertise in all complexities of sample processing and quality control to help ensure biospecimens will meet future research needs. Bryan has a Bachelors of Science in Biology and is currently working on his Masters of Applied Clinical and Preclinical Research (MACPR) from The Ohio State University, an interdisciplinary program that provides an advanced graduate immersion into design of study protocols, advancement of scientific knowledge and the regulations applying to clinical research. Bryan has significant biorepository experience working as a research associate at the Biopathology Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where he supported numerous oncology studies through the Children’s Oncology Group, Southwest Oncology Group and the Gynecologic Oncology Group. He also worked as a research associate supporting neonatology research at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Raymond Heromin

Ray is the most recent member of the JHAC Pediatric Biorepository, joining in 2021. He graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 2017. His professional experience includes work in both clinical and research laboratories. Ray is a part of the Biorepository team and also the Tissue-Based Diagnostic Research Core. There, he works closely with Medical Director Dr. Monforte to obtain and process pathological samples in order to meet the needs of various research protocols. Ray also does research and development with the goal of establishing new methodologies and services to be offered by the biorepository and tissue core.