Research is focused in the general areas of biomedical imaging, computational genomics, computational medicine, data intensive biomedical science, genomic-epigenomic engineering, neuroengineering, regenerative and immune engineering, systems biology, and medical technologies. The department offers several degrees including a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering, a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering, a Master of Science in Bioengineering Innovation and Design, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering. Undergraduate degree offerings are administered at the Homewood campus of the university with the graduate degree programs co-located at both the Homewood and the East Baltimore campuses.
History
Biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins was first established in 1961 as a Division of Biomedical Engineering within the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in East Baltimore with Samuel Talbot [1] as the head, followed by Richard J. Johns [2](1965-1991). In 1961, Johns Hopkins, along with the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Rochester, established the first graduate programs in biomedical engineering.[3] Established in the School of Medicine, the program at Johns Hopkins is the oldest continually-funded PhD program in the nation.[4][5]
In 1981, Johns and David VandeLinde, then Dean of the Whiting School of Engineering, launched the undergraduate program at the Homewood campus; the first undergraduate program director was Eric D. Young.[7] This is now the largest undergraduate program within the Whiting School of Engineering. The department continues to be shared jointly between the two schools.
Directors of the Department of Biomedical Engineering
The original eight faculty members who founded the Department of Biomedical Engineering were specialists in neuroscience and the science of cardiovascular engineering.[8] This founding era gave rise to some of the earliest works in computational neuroscience, exemplified by the application of control theory to the neural basis of eye movements,[9] understanding the control of the strength of heart muscle contractions,[10][11] Johns' articulation of what has come to be known as Systems Biology, the early neural codes of complex auditory stimuli forming the basis for modern cochlear implants,[12] and somatosensory codes forming the basis for modern tactile prostheses.
The Whitaker Foundation Years
In 2000, Johns Hopkins University received an award from the Whitaker Foundation, enabling the hiring of 10 tenure line faculty with principal appointments in the Whiting School of Engineering. The department has since developed with the formation of several Centers of Excellence and Institutes including the Center for Imaging Science (CIS), the Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design (CBID), and the Institute for Computational Medicine (ICM). During this period, the Johns Hopkins University Translational Tissue Engineering Center (TTEC) and the Carnegie Center for Surgical Innovation were developed, both residing on the School of Medicine campus.
With the Whitaker foundation award, the new Clark Hall was constructed at the Homewood campus.
Rankings
For 30 years, the Johns Hopkins Department of Biomedical Engineering was continuously ranked as the number one undergraduate and graduate Biomedical Engineering program in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.[13]
^Nebeker, Frederik (April 26, 2000). "Richard Johns, an oral history". IEEE History Center, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Inc.
