Leadership & Staff

David Golan, the George R. Minot Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, was appointed dean for research operations and global programs in August 2019. He previously served for 11 years as HMS dean for basic science and graduate education and special advisor for global programs. He is a professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, where his laboratory applies biophysical and cell-imaging methods to the study of membrane proteins in blood cells. Dr. Golan is a senior physician in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he sees patients as a practicing hematologist and clinician teacher. Dr. Golan founded and directed the core course in pharmacology in the New Pathway curriculum at HMS from 1989 to 2006, and he co-directs a translational pharmacology course that brings together PhD students in the Therapeutics Graduate Program with MD fellows in the Master of Medical Sciences Program in Clinical Investigation at HMS. He is editor-in-chief of Principles of Pharmacology: The Pathophysiologic Basis of Drug Therapy, an award-winning textbook of pharmacology that is used worldwide. In his role as dean for research operations and global programs, Dr. Golan is responsible for planning, coordination, and operations involving research in the School’s basic and social science departments and for planning, implementation and oversight of interdisciplinary, interdepartmental, School-wide, interinstitutional and global research initiatives and technology platforms at HMS.

Tim Mitchison, Ph.D., Hasib Sabbagh Professor of Systems Biology, received his  B.A. in Biochemistry from Oxford University, England, in 1980, and his  PhD from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), in  Biochemistry and Biophysics in 1984, where he worked with Professor Marc  Kirschner. At this time he discovered the dynamic instability of  microtubules. Later he worked at the National Institute for Medical  Research in London. In 1987 he returned to San Francisco to become an  Assistant Professor at UCSF. In 1997 he moved to the Cell Biology  Department at Harvard Medical School where he co-founded the Institute  for Chemistry and Cell Biology. Dr. Mitchison was a founding member of the HMS Department of Systems  Biology, which started in 2004. He is currently Co-director of the  Systems Biology PhD Program. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal  Society in 1997, and member of the American Association of Arts and  Sciences in 2008. In 2010 he served as President of the American Society  of Cell Biology. And most recently in 2014 he became a member of the  National Academy of Sciences.

John is the Program Manager for the Therapeutics Graduate Program. Before coming to HMS, he has worked in non-profit organizations, teaching, and administration, particularly ten years within the MCB department of FAS. He is passionate about education, and developing cultures and initiatives that will enhance the student experience, further cultivate skills for future success, and improve the well-being of all members of the community. John is dedicated to DEIB and looks forward to continuing the progress being made by those who’ve come before. Reach out to John with any questions, concerns, or ideas you may have regarding your PhD. journey.

Dr. Irene Wong is the Curriculum Fellow for the Therapeutics Graduate Program (TGP) at Harvard. She supports the students by partnering with faculty on TGP coursework, facilitating professional development opportunities, and building community among TGP affiliates. Irene completed her B.S. in Biology from Brandeis University and her Ph.D. in Biological and Biomedical Sciences from Harvard University. Her Ph.D. research was on the investigation of tissue-wide responses to murine models of airway injury and the characterization of lung organoids in a transplantation model. Irene is very passionate about teaching and mentoring and received recognition through Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning during graduate school. Irene was also heavily involved in Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center’s CURE and YES for CURE Programs, serving high school and college students in various roles such as head instructor, journal club facilitator, and research mentor.

Laura Vardon joined the Office for Research Operations and Global Programs in August 2022, where she provides executive support to Dean Golan and senior leadership. Prior to joining HMS, Laura spent the majority of her career in hospitality, most recently in the sales office at The Eliot Hotel in Boston’s Back Bay. A Connecticut native, Laura moved to Boston to attend Boston University and never left.

Lisa is a Senior Faculty Assistant in the department of Systems Biology, providing support to the Mitchison and Lu labs. With her experience in higher education and background in non-profit administration and finance, she is interested in environments that foster transformative leadership and social justice. Lisa recently completed her EdD in Higher Education Administration and looks forward to exploring ways to enhance student success and foster community engagement within the department and beyond.