Johns Hopkins HEPIUS Innovation Lab is pleased to announce the promotion of Dr. Amir Manbachi to the rank of Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery, with a secondary appointment in Biomedical Engineering, effective December 1, 2023

Five years ago, Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon Nicholas Theodore brought a problem with echoes of the movie Groundhog Day to biomedical engineer Amir Manbachi, who was then teaching in the Undergraduate Design Team program at the Whiting School.

Named after the Greek god of medicine and healing, the HEPIUS (Holistic Electrical, ultrasonic and Physiological Interventions Unburdening those with Spinal cord injury) team unites neurosurgeons, biomedical engineers, acoustic engineers and ultrasound scientists, radiologists and sonographers, to treat and diagnose spinal cord injuries.

Surgeons have few ways to monitor the condition of a patient after a debilitating spinal cord injury. A research lab at Johns Hopkins University is hoping to change that by developing an implant that can give physicians a look at the inner workings of the body in order to reduce the need for surgery or alert them when something has gone wrong.

Dr. Manbachi is an inventor, academic entrepreneur, and an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, with appointments in the departments of Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. He is the engineering lead on a $13.5M award from Department of Defense, and responsible for the assembly of a world-class team of pioneers, including 70 individuals from clinic, academia, and industry.

Funded through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the project will bring together experts from across Johns Hopkins to create solutions that work on the battlefield and on the frontlines of health care

A team of Johns Hopkins neurosurgeons and biomedical engineers has received $13.48 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop implantable ultrasound and other devices that could revolutionize care for people suffering from spinal cord injuries. The results could benefit thousands of U.S. service members and civilians who sustain spinal cord injuries every year.