My Story

BA: As a teenager, I enjoyed designing and building electronic test equipment and sound systems. My high school interest in biology and physics included authoring a paper on the contributions by Charles Steinmetz who developed alternating current transmission methods that expanded electric power distribution. My first major was electrical engineering at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor MI. However, my biomedical interests included one summer as an American Medical Association-sponsored medical records reviewer, two summers as a surgical floor orderly, and one summer as a lab technician/phlebotomist.

MS Biology: Following graduation from U of M, I entered graduate school at Wayne State University – Detroit MI, majoring in microbiology. I enjoyed the microbiology courses presented by Dr. James M. Jay, a food microbiologist celebrated by the American Society for Microbiology. My master’s degree research included Staphylococcus aureus and bacterial L-forms.

PhD Microbiology & Public Health: My doctoral microbiology research advisor at Michigan State University – East Lansing MI was Dr. Harold Lloyd Sadoff, an expert on bacterial sporulation. My engineering aptitude was useful when researching the physical and catalytic property differences between the Bacillus cereus spore and vegetative cell forms of the enzyme purine nucleoside phosphorylase. My doctoral research findings were presented at an invited 1970 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Conference on Extreme Environments at the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, prior to the launch of the Viking 1 Spacecraft in 1975. The research was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

NIH Postdoc: As one of only four PhDs receiving a two-year postdoctoral fellowship from NIH NIGMS the year I graduated, I joined Frank E Young, Chair of Microbiology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester NY. My research included bacterial genetics, cell wall research with Staphylococcus aureus, and cell wall-lacking L-forms of Bacillus subtilis, as well as clinical microbiology laboratory practices at Strong Memorial Hospital.

Philadelphia Research: Following my postdoc, I moved to Philadelphia and began NIH-funded medical school microbiology research with Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Legionella pneumophila. I enjoyed empowering medical students and graduate students to be the best they could be [Golden Apple Award] while serving as the second-year medical school class faculty adviser and director of the second-year medical microbiology & immunology course for five years.

Baltimore Research & Mentoring: I moved to Baltimore MD to join the Becton Dickinson and Company – Franklin Lakes NY – BBL Division, Cockeysville MD. I was one of three in-vitro diagnostics R&D managers and my group of 17 personnel supported 12 in-vitro diagnostic product lines.
Patricia Charache, former Director of Johns Hopkins Medicine Hospital Clinical Diagnostic Laboratories [one of my in-vitro diagnostics clinical trial sites], suggested I look at the Biosafety Officer position at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. I accepted the position with Dr. Byron S. Tepper, Director of Office of Environmental Health and Safety. Byron and I co-presented the Control of Biohazards Course for years at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and off campus. As directer of the Hopkins 5-member biosafety section, I shared my experience with laboratory staff, researchers, faculty, medical students, hospital staff, & safety personnel while developing bloodborne pathogens/laboratory practices/biologics-shipping training programs, and saving Hopkins Medicine & Public Health significant money by bringing BSC certification & repair services in house where they remain today.
Later, I served at the University of Maryland School of Medicine – Baltimore MD as Biosafety Officer and Adjunct Professor of Microbiology, followed later as the Senior Administration Compliance Officer at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Baltimore MD.

Today: Biomedical research & biosafety mentoring continues with biosafety consulting, participating as a local IBC member, & operating the GTS Legionella Consulting Service.
My engineering interests benefit consultants, architects, facilities managers, BSC manufacturers, & attorneys that I work with.
I am gratified that I have been able to share my technical knowledge and principles of leadership with many individuals throughout my career.

My Company: Dr Richard W Gilpin LLC, a Maryland company was founded in 1981.

Consulting: All aspects of biosafety, legionella testing, legionella expert witness testimony, environmental microbiology, indoor air quality, laboratory & hospital safety, research microbiology, & research compliance in the areas of risk management.

Faculty Member: 35 years as faculty microbiologist at: Johns Hopkins University; University of Maryland; Thomas Jefferson University, and Medical College of Pennsylvania (Drexel University College of Medicine).

Publications: 64 papers in the microbiology & biosafety fields.
Legionlla presentations & scientific papers.
All presentations and scientific publications.

ResearchGate: Contains most of my 64 publications & presentations.
Read 39,000 times & Cited 435 times

Associations:
Chesapeake Area Biological Safety Association:
2020 recipient of ChABSA Council Lifetime Achievement Award,
Past Council Member & Past President.
ABSA International:
Past Councilor (National association elected Officer),
Past Chairperson, Bylaws Committee,
Bylaws Committee,
Past Nominating Committee,
Past Chairperson, Technical Resources Committee,
Past RBP Registration Evaluation Committee.
American Society for Microbiology:
Active National Member,
Local Maryland Branch Ltd,
ASM 50-Year Awardee.
NSF International:
Member & Informative Annex 1 Task Group Chair,  Standard 49 Biosafety Cabinetry Joint Committee,
2017 NSF International Certificate of Recognition.
Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association Member.
American Public Health Association Member.
Formerly: Association of Water Technologies (AWT); AAAS; AIHA; ASHRAE; & Society of the Sigma Xi.

Past Positions:
University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Baltimore Maryland, Compliance Officer, Central Administration.
University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore Maryland:
-Adjunct Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine,
-Assistant Director Environmental Health and Safety,
-Biosafety Officer, Environmental Health and Safety.
Johns Hopkins Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland:
-Faculty/biosafety senior staff retiree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine,
-Biosafety Officer/Section Director, Department of Health, Safety & Environment,
-Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Bloomberg School of Public Health,
-Assistant Professor of Occupational Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine,
-Senior Consultant, Center for Occupational & Environmental Health Services.
Becton Dickinson and Company, Sparks, Maryland, Manager, Analytical Microbiology, Research & Development.
Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Visiting Associate Professor of Biochemistry, School of Medicine.
Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:
-Associate Professor of Microbiology & Immunology,
-Assistant Professor of Microbiology & Immunology.
NIH NIGMS Postoral Fellow, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry and Strong Memorial Hospital.