Job description
Associate Professor/Professor (Rank commensurate with qualifications)
The Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health invites applications from an accomplished research leader to serve as Director of the George W. Comstock Center for Public Health Research and Prevention and to hold the prestigious George W. Comstock Professorship.
This is a unique leadership position that combines visionary strategy with operational management. The new Director will steward the renowned, nationally recognized research field center located in a semi-rural area uniquely situated to advance non-communicable clinical and epidemiological research. Responsibilities of the new Director include:
- Sustain and elevate the Center’s portfolio of grants and contracts while maintaining research excellence.
- Lead new multidisciplinary collaborations focused on non-communicable diseases, while broadening the Center’s research portfolio through new grants that leverage its location, strong community partnerships, and expertise in conducting high-quality intervention trials and longitudinal studies with repeated assessments.
- Foster a collaborative and engaged research environment that connects associated and new Johns Hopkins faculty, staff, and students, while building strong partnerships with local healthcare systems, community organizations, and populations to address the unique public health needs of the population in the surrounding areas.
About the George W. Comstock and the Center for Public Health Research and Prevention
George W. Comstock’s work in Washington County revolutionized the field of community-based epidemiologic research. Decades before others recognized the value of population-level biological specimens, Dr. Comstock led a private census of the county and then established the first, large population-based biological repository. This repository and its associated population-level data led to groundbreaking research findings in cancer, cardiovascular disease, and numerous other critical health conditions, fundamentally reshaping modern epidemiology.
The Johns Hopkins Training Center for Public Health Research was established in 1962 and renamed the Comstock Center in 2003 to honor the long-standing contributions of Dr. Comstock. Today, more than 60 years later, Washington County remains an exceptional environment for health discovery. Washington County is a semi-rural community with a state-of-the-art hospital, cancer center, and dedicated medical community. The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine was established in Hagerstown in 2022, with its inaugural class in July 2025, further expanding potential research partnerships and infrastructure.
Critical to the work of the Comstock Center, the community has a strong interest in health research and a willingness to participate in projects that benefit the advancement of medical knowledge to improve the health of society. The Center’s largest studies focus on heart disease and aging (ARIC), cancer prevention and biology (CLUE), and cognitive health in older adults (ACHIEVE). Current studies build on nearly a century of community-based research collaborations, between Johns Hopkins University and Washington County, and collectively these studies include tens of thousands of study participants and dozens of dedicated staff.
Position is located in both Baltimore, MD and Hargerstown, MD.
Qualifications
Essential Qualifications
- Doctoral degree in epidemiology, medicine or related field. Clinician scientists are encouraged to apply
- Demonstrated track record of peer-reviewed research and sustained funding in the area of non-communicable diseases
- Proven experience developing a strategic vision and leading interdisciplinary teams
- Experience building and maintaining partnerships with community-based organizations
- Excellent management, writing, and communication skills
- Demonstrated commitment to identifying new projects
- Experience in supervising and mentoring students and early career professionals
- Interest in and commitment to teaching and mentorship
Salary Range
The referenced salary range represents the minimum and maximum salaries for this position and is based on Johns Hopkins University’s good faith belief at the time of posting. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. The actual compensation offered to the selected candidate may vary and will ultimately depend on multiple factors, which may include the successful candidate’s geographic location, skills, work experience, internal equity, market conditions, education/training and other factors, as reasonably determined by the University.
Total Rewards
Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees’ health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/benefits-worklife/.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The Johns Hopkins University is committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students. To that end, the university does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or other legally protected characteristic. The university is committed to providing qualified individuals access to all academic and employment programs, benefits and activities on the basis of demonstrated ability, performance and merit without regard to personal factors that are irrelevant to the program involved.
Pre-Employment Information
If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the HR Business Services Office at [email protected]. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711. For more information about workplace accommodations or accessibility at Johns Hopkins University, please visit accessibility.jhu.edu.
Background Checks
The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check including education verification.
EEO is the Law:
https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf
Vaccine Requirements
Johns Hopkins University strongly encourages, but no longer requires, at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine does not apply to positions located in the State of Florida. We still require all faculty, staff, and students to receive the seasonal flu vaccine. Exceptions to the COVID and flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry. This change does not apply to the School of Medicine (SOM). SOM hires must be fully vaccinated with an FDA COVID-19 vaccination and provide proof of vaccination status. For additional information, applicants for SOM positions should visit https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/ and all other JHU applicants should visit https://covidinfo.jhu.edu/health-safety/covid-vaccination-information/.
The following additional vaccine requirements may apply, depending upon your campus. Please contact the hiring department for more information. The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.
Salary Range: Associate Professor $185,000 – $205,000, Full Professor $215,000 – $310,000
How to apply
Interested candidates should submit:
- Curriculum Vitae (including publication record and funding history)
- Three publications or reports that best exemplify and reflect your research impact/vision
- Cover letter (1-2 pages) describing your vision for advancing public health research and prevention at the Comstock Center, your experience building and sustaining community partnerships in research, and your leadership philosophy.
- Three to five references (name, title, institutions, contact information)
