Heart of Discovery

Johns Hopkins University has set the standard for cardiac health research and surgery for more than 80 years, from the founding of the Cardiac Surgery Research Laboratory in 1942 to the use of 3D imaging and artificial intelligence to predict potentially life-threatening arrhythmias.

1889

Johns Hopkins Hospital, as seen from the Southwest

The Johns Hopkins Hospital opens, establishing a new standard for medical education and care.

1942

The Johns Hopkins Cardiac Surgery Research Lab is founded.

Surgeon Alfred Blalock and his surgical assistant Vivien Thomas create the Cardiac Surgery Research Lab. It leads to the development of the Blalock-Taussig-Thomas shunt to correct pulmonary stenosis, which can cause blue baby syndrome.

1944

Dr. Alfred Blalock performing a blue baby operation in 1947

Working with pediatric cardiologist Helen Taussig, Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas perform the first blue baby operation.

1957-1958

William Kouwenhoven at 75 years old, demonstrating the cardiac defibrillator.

Johns Hopkins researchers develop the first cardiac defibrillator and the procedure for manual CPR.

1969

The first total artificial heart implanted in a human body

School of Medicine alum Denton Cooley implants the world’s first artificial human heart.

1972

Researchers at Johns Hopkins invent the first implantable device that can be recharged inside the body.

Setting a new standard in pacemaker technology to treat cardiac disorders, Applied Physics Laboratory engineer and inventor Robert Fischell and cardiologist Kenneth Lewis implant the first device—which is recharged by radio waves—into 76-year-old Helen Chambers.

1980

Cardiac surgeon Levi Watkins Jr. implants an automatic defibrillator in a human for the first time.

1987

Bruce Reitz and William Baumgartner in the operating room

Johns Hopkins heart surgeons successfully complete the first “domino donor” three-way transplant operation in the United States.

2022

The first cohort of Vivien Thomas Scholars stands for a posed photo

The Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative creates pathways for PhD students in STEM fields.

2022

Johns Hopkins biomedical engineers create a 3D model of the heart to predict rhythm abnormalities in patients with a genetic heart disease.

Approach could help clinicians determine which patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy—thickening and scarring in the heart muscle—might benefit from the implantation of a defibrillator

Looking Forward

Computational and clinical researchers from Johns Hopkins University have developed virtual replicas of patients’ hearts, known as digital twins, to help with the diagnosis, treatment, management, and prediction of such adverse outcomes as sudden cardiac arrest. Each digital twin is based on an individual’s unique genetics and heart structure.

Biomedical engineer Natalia Trayanova and cardiologist Hugh Calkins co-direct the program, known as Alliance for Cardiovascular Diagnostic and Treatment Innovation, or ADVANCE. Trayanova’s lab has pioneered a new AI framework that researchers tested on more than 1,000 virtual replicas of patients’ hearts.

3D rendering depicts part of a "twin heart"

Courtesy of the Whiting School of Engineering.

In this black and white photo, a man and woman stand next to a large, three-tiered white cake

Join the Celebration

For 150 years, we’ve been breaking new ground—now, let’s celebrate it. Join us for gatherings, lectures, and special events that honor our legacy and look ahead. Details on future events are coming soon.

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Hopkins Retrospective

Hopkins Retrospective is an initiative designed to expand our understanding of the diverse history of Hopkins and weave that history into the university experience. 