The Johns Hopkins University Department of Biomedical Engineering is a trailblazer in the field, establishing one of the nation's first graduate programs in 1961 and the oldest continually-funded PhD program, followed by an undergraduate program in 1981. Pioneering figures like Richard J. Johns guided its early development, with founding faculty making seminal contributions to computational neuroscience and laying groundwork for modern medical devices such as cochlear implants and tactile prostheses. The department's growth was significantly bolstered by a major Whitaker Foundation award in 2000, enabling faculty expansion, the creation of key research centers like the Institute for Computational Medicine, and the construction of Clark Hall. Johns Hopkins BME has also consistently held the top spot, being ranked as the number one undergraduate and graduate program in the United States by U.S. News & World Report for an impressive 30 years. Its comprehensive research spans cutting-edge areas including biomedical imaging, neuroengineering, and regenerative medicine.