On June 30, Johns Hopkins Medicine announced that Namandjé Bumpus, director of the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, is taking a leave of absence from Johns Hopkins to serve as the chief scientist of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Bumpus’ selection for this role reflects both the outstanding research that she has conducted and the leadership she has provided. Together, these have generated great respect for her in the scientific community, culminating in this prestigious appointment.
Dr. Bumpus came to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2010, and quickly climbed the academic and leadership ranks. She served as the school of medicine’s inaugural associate dean for institutional and student equity and associate dean for basic research. In 2020, Dr. Bumpus, an accomplished pharmacologist, was appointed director of the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences — the oldest such department in the country.
As a member of the faculty and the first African American woman to chair a department at the school of medicine, she has championed a more inclusive, culturally aware environment. After her first two years as director, there are more women and people of color on the faculty and staff than at any other time in the department’s 129-year history.
Dr. Bumpus’ collaborations with technology companies have given the department opportunities to test state-of-the-art, high-end analytical equipment before it is commercially available. She strengthened student and postdoc interactions with industry, providing them with more opportunities for discovery, mentorship and career paths. She established a program with an industry partner that provides funding for up to two graduate students each year and the opportunity to showcase their research and receive guidance from an industry scientist.
Dr. Bumpus came to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2010, and quickly climbed the academic and leadership ranks. She served as the school of medicine’s inaugural associate dean for institutional and student equity and associate dean for basic research. In 2020, Dr. Bumpus, an accomplished pharmacologist, was appointed director of the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences — the oldest such department in the country.
As a member of the faculty and the first African American woman to chair a department at the school of medicine, she has championed a more inclusive, culturally aware environment. After her first two years as director, there are more women and people of color on the faculty and staff than at any other time in the department’s 129-year history.
Dr. Bumpus’ collaborations with technology companies have given the department opportunities to test state-of-the-art, high-end analytical equipment before it is commercially available. She strengthened student and postdoc interactions with industry, providing them with more opportunities for discovery, mentorship and career paths. She established a program with an industry partner that provides funding for up to two graduate students each year and the opportunity to showcase their research and receive guidance from an industry scientist.