Johns Hopkins APL

Journals and Conference Proceedings Research from APL experts is published in a number of peer-reviewed journals and in conference proceedings. Explore some highlights of our work.

Researchers from APL and Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering discovered that conventional image quality metrics don't reliably predict AI performance. The team developed a framework to enable the creation of metrics that better explain AI performance. https://jhuapl.link/published

Johns Hopkins APL Develops Innovative Platform for Traumatic Brain Injury Research A team of researchers from APL and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is developing next-generation brain organoid platforms to better understand the effects of mild blast-induced tra...

Researchers at Johns Hopkins APL and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health are developing next-gen organoid platforms to study how repeated low-level blasts and other forms of brain trauma affect the brain, advancing protection and care for military personnel. https://jhuapl.link/026

Johns Hopkins APL engineers adapted battlefield-tested AI and upstream data fusion to enhance the precision and speed of breast cancer detection. Learn how combining multimodal data streams is revolutionizing diagnostic imaging.

Watch the full video: https://jhuapl.link/cjf

Standardizing Cyber Analytics to Secure Critical Infrastructure A Johns Hopkins APL team has developed a framework for standardizing alerts transmitted by cybersecurity systems defending critical infrastructure, dramatically improving the efficiency with which the...

APL’s BAS/CS framework is helping secure critical infrastructure by standardizing alerts across cybersecurity systems and vendors. The system is already in use by military operators. https://jhuapl.link/f47

Engineering Tomorrow’s Quantum Computers Researchers have touted the revolutionary potential of quantum computers to take on otherwise intractable challenges, like modeling complex molecular behavior for drug discovery or factoring enormous ...

Researchers have touted the revolutionary potential of quantum computers to take on challenges from drug discovery to cryptography. With help from Johns Hopkins APL, DARPA‬ is working to define, in practical terms, what a useful quantum computer looks like. https://jhuapl.link/08s

NASA Launches IMAP Mission to Study the Heliosphere and Better Understand Space Weather NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:30 a.m. EDT.

NASA’s IMAP mission lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 at 7:30 a.m. EDT. Led by Princeton and operated by APL, IMAP will explore the heliosphere and provide critical data for space weather forecasting, which will help protect spacecraft, satellites and human explorers. https://jhuapl.link/d11

NASA’s IMAP Mission Passes Major Prelaunch Milestone NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) completed its Flight Readiness Review on Sept. 18, which certifies its readiness to initiate final launch preparation activities. IMAP is targ...

NASA’s IMAP mission has passed its Flight Readiness Review, which certifies its readiness to initiate final launch preparation activities. IMAP is targeting a launch date of Sept. 23 from Kennedy Space Center. IMAP will map the heliosphere and advance space weather science. https://jhuapl.link/85e

Today marks 78 years of service and dedication to advancing air and space superiority. Happy birthday to the United States Air Force.

An Accelerated Paradigm for Developing Mission-Critical Materials Scientists and engineers at Johns Hopkins APL are applying artificial intelligence and robotics to dramatically accelerate the process of designing, testing and optimizing metallic components for the defense industrial base.

Johns Hopkins APL is revolutionizing metal manufacturing for defense. TETRA, an AI and robotics-driven effort at APL, is slashing the time it takes to design and test metallic components, cutting months of work down to days. https://jhuapl.link/078

Nano-engineered Thermoelectrics Enable Scalable, Compressor-Free Cooling Researchers at Johns Hopkins APL, in collaboration with Samsung Research, have unveiled a breakthrough in solid-state cooling technology, doubling the efficiency of today’s commercial systems. Driven ...

Researchers at APL and Samsung Research have unveiled a breakthrough in solid-state cooling, doubling the efficiency of today’s commercial materials. This 2025 R&D 100 Award-winning innovation could transform industries by replacing compressor-based refrigeration. https://jhuapl.link/ea6

Space Science Snapshots At APL, our space scientists and engineers strive every day to break new ground—through research, spacecraft and instrument designs, and much more.

Apollo 16 astronauts left footprints in unexpectedly fluffy lunar soil. APL’s Tyler Powell linked that to a thermal “cold spot” detected by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, showing how temp reveals hidden surface conditions & guides future human exploration. https://jhuapl.link/science-snapshot

Training Robots to Plan and React Like Humans Johns Hopkins APL researchers are advancing robotic perception by using artificial intelligence to equip autonomous agents with the capacity to make sense of unstructured environments — and make plans...

Researchers at Johns Hopkins APL are advancing robotic perception with agentic AI, enabling autonomous agents to make sense of unstructured environments and plan like humans, supporting warfighters and first responders in complex, off-road situations. https://jhuapl.link/b51

NASA’s Dragonfly Soaring Through Key Development, Test Activities NASA’s Dragonfly mission has cleared several key design, development and testing milestones and remains on track toward launch in July 2028.

NASA’s Dragonfly mission, built and managed by APL, is on schedule and on track for its 2028 launch. Each week brings progress: tests completed, hardware produced, software validated, analyses proven. The team is moving toward the 2026 start of integration and testing. https://jhuapl.link/4ac

Johns Hopkins APL has been recognized for the seventh consecutive year as one of @fastcompany.com’s Best Workplaces for Innovators. APL ranks in the top 50 worldwide for fostering innovation and bold ideas. https://jhuapl.link/47b

Mara Named Head of Force Projection Sector at Johns Hopkins APL Andrew Mara has been named head of the Force Projection Sector at APL. Mara joined APL in 2023 as the head of the National Security Analysis Department, where he led the development of advanced techni...

Johns Hopkins APL has named Andrew Mara as the new head of the Force Projection Sector. Mara is a widely recognized researcher and leader in defense, national security and related technologies. https://jhuapl.link/9e3

Thompson Named Mission Area Executive for National Security Analysis at Johns Hopkins APL Angela Thompson has been appointed National Security Analysis mission area executive at APL. Since joining the Lab in 2007, she has served in key leadership roles guiding programs that advance U.S. na...

Angela Thompson has been named mission area executive for National Security Analysis at Johns Hopkins APL. She brings years of strong leadership and technical expertise to this critical role. https://jhuapl.link/6b5

Provisions From Pond Water? Researchers Leverage Biomanufacturing to Produce Food Johns Hopkins APL researchers are exploring ways to produce food on demand by using readily available water to grow edible microbial products — an effort that could have significant implications for d...

Johns Hopkins APL researchers are exploring ways to produce food on demand by using readily available water to grow edible microbial products — an effort that could have significant implications for deployed military. https://jhuapl.link/1f5

At-Home ‘Retinal Selfies’ May Provide a Window on Health Researchers at Johns Hopkins APL and the Johns Hopkins Medicine Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore are designing a retinal imaging platform in the form of wearable eyeglasses that has the potential to ...

Researchers from Johns Hopkins APL and Johns Hopkins Medicine are creating a retinal imaging platform in the form of wearable eyeglasses. This work could increase access to imaging and generate data to improve diagnostic tools and accelerate research. https://jhuapl.link/qpx

37th Annual Submarine Technology Symposium Advances Undersea Collaboration and Innovation More than 600 participants from across the submarine force, allied nations, industry and academia gathered at Johns Hopkins APL for the 37th Submarine Technology Symposium. The symposium provided a fo...

This year’s Submarine Technology Symposium at Johns Hopkins APL brought together participants from across the submarine force, allied nations, industry and academia for technical exchange and discussion on “Lethality Today and Innovation for Tomorrow.” https://jhuapl.link/83e

Logo featuring the text "THE LAB" in bold white letters, with the subtitle "Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory" displayed below, set against a dark blue background with a stylized light beam on the right side.

Stories from APL’s groundbreaking research are now in audio format. Narrated audio articles share the Lab’s critical contributions to critical challenges, technical innovation, world-class expertise and more. Available on APL’s website, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. https://jhuapl.link/audio-articles

U.S. Air Force, Johns Hopkins APL Hypersonic Experiment Soars and Collects Vital Data The BOLT-1B experiment collected data about boundary layer transition (the flow of air around the skin of a hypersonic vehicle), which increases hypersonic vehicle drag and aerodynamic heating. That d...

The Boundary Layer Transition 1B experiment launched from Norway’s Andøya Space Station in Sept of 2024. Traveling at Mach 7.2 over the Norwegian Sea, it collected data to help researchers validate more accurate modeling & prediction methods for hypersonic vehicle design. https://jhuapl.link/ifq

Johns Hopkins APL’s Next-Generation Solid-State Refrigeration Technology Wins 2025 R&D 100 Award APL researchers won a 2025 R&D 100 award for their nano-engineered materials called CHESS that significantly improve the efficiency of thermoelectric cooling devices. Their breakthrough nearly doubles...

APL’s solid-state cooling system is a 2025 R&D 100 Award winner, recognized as an emerging tech in research and development. Built with nano-engineered materials, it moves heat more efficiently than other thermoelectrics and without moving parts and refrigerants. jhuapl.link/3b3

A New Path to Noninvasive Brain-Computer Interface A new high-resolution neural recording method developed by Johns Hopkins APL and the School of Medicine detects neural activity through the skull at unprecedented resolutions, expanding possibilities ...

Researchers at Johns Hopkins APL and Johns Hopkins Medicine have achieved a breakthrough in noninvasive, high-resolution recording of neural brain activity, paving the way for nonsurgical brain-computer interfaces. https://jhuapl.link/vjl

Johns Hopkins APL Technology Fuels Startup Launched to Deliver Safer, More Effective Pain Management A new startup, BIOPAC Medical Systems LP, has been launched to advance a novel neural blockade monitoring technology toward clinical use. The venture is a collaboration between APL, the Johns Hopkins ...

BIOPAC Medical Systems LP, a new startup launched from a tech transfer collaboration with Johns Hopkins APL, Johns Hopkins Medicine, BIOPAC Systems, and BLOCKsynop, is advancing real-time nerve block monitoring to evaluate anesthetic effectiveness. jhuapl.link/c65

Johns Hopkins APL Team Applies Expertise to Homeland Defense Wargame A team from APL played a central role in a recent Defense Department wargame that addressed the challenges of protecting logistics infrastructure against growing adversarial threats.

A team from Johns Hopkins APL played a central role in Vista Gladiator, a Department of Defense wargame, enhancing technical realism and addressing challenges in defending critical logistics infrastructure from adversarial threats. jhuapl.link/1ac

Johns Hopkins APL Names Terlaje Chief Government Relations Officer Melissa Terlaje has been appointed chief government relations officer at APL. In this role, she will lead the Laboratory’s strategic engagements with government sponsors and stakeholders, ensuring APL...

Melissa Terlaje has been named chief government relations officer at Johns Hopkins APL. In this role, Terlaje will lead strategic engagement with government sponsors to align APL’s work with national priorities. jhuapl.link/a8b

Johns Hopkins APL Takes a Quantum Approach to Tracking Online Trends APL researchers have demonstrated that a quantum algorithm can be used to speed up an information analysis task that classical computers struggle to perform.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins APL have shown that a quantum algorithm can speed up a computationally intensive information analysis task that traditional algorithms struggle to perform. jhuapl.link/06t

Scientists Fuse Simulations and Machine Learning to Accelerate Novel Additively Manufactured Materials A new Johns Hopkins APL-led study shows how machine learning can be used to predict the microstructures produced by a widely used additive manufacturing technique. This novel approach promises to dram...

Researchers at Johns Hopkins APL demonstrated a novel approach for applying machine learning to predict the performance of components produced by laser powder bed fusion, dramatically accelerating qualification of spaceflight hardware. jhuapl.link/371

Design Standard Update Improves Modular Architecture for Unmanned Platforms Revision 6.1 of the Modular Payload Design Standard, developed by a collaborative team of government and industry partners led by Johns Hopkins APL, marks a significant evolution in the way electronic...

Developed by a collaborative team led by APL, revision 6.1 of the DoD's Modular Payload Design Standard enables plug-and-play integration across uncrewed and dismounted systems, advancing affordability, speed and mission flexibility. jhuapl.link/902

Johns Hopkins APL Satellite Communications Facility Plays Critical Role in U.S. Lunar Initiative A signature APL facility that dates back to the Sputnik era is playing a pivotal role for one of NASA’s most critical lunar initiatives.

APL’s Satellite Communications Facility, built in 1961 for the Transit navigation system, remains critical to deep space missions. The SCF recently supported Firefly's Blue Ghost Mission 1, receiving data during cruise and lunar surface ops. jhuapl.link/978