Voices from DARPA

What does it take to solve the world's most urgent national security and economic challenges? At DARPA, it starts with questioning past assumptions. In this episode, we go behind the scenes of a major organizational pivot to hear directly from the office leaders driving the change. 

We unpack the "why" behind the new names on the doors of two tech offices: 

The Multi X Office (MXO): Formerly the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO), MXO is breaking down the walls between physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science. Learn how this integrated approach aims to secure critical supply chains and build resilient physical capabilities. 

The Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO): Reaching back to a legendary name from DARPA’s history, the former Information Innovation Office (I2O) is focusing on the first principles of computational power and resiliency that will be required to invent the next forward-looking breakthrough technologies for national security. 

Listen in to hear how DARPA is retooling its strategy, embracing massive scale, and transforming its structure to secure America's future. 

MXO
IPTO
Smash
Promethean Clay
Crystal Palace
IPTO history

BTO Program Manager Lt. Col. Adam Willis, M.D., U.S. Air Force, joins Voices from DARPA to share his remarkable journey from a ROTC physics major to a leading innovator in military medicine.

Dr. Willis discusses how a desire to apply science to help people led him down the dual paths of a Ph.D. in theoretical and appliled mechanics and a medical degree with a focus on neurology. He recounts the moment a demonstration of the DARPA-funded Revolutionizing Prosthetics program sparked his interest, leading him to cold-email a military doctor and future mentor, Col. Geoffrey Ling, who gave him a simple, life-changing piece of advice.

In this episode, Dr. Willis explains his work on groundbreaking programs like Golden Hour Evacuation (GOLDEVAC) and Making Anatomical Sense of Hemorrhage (MASH), which aim to revolutionize battlefield medicine by bringing critical care capabilities directly to the point of injury. He details his vision for an "ICU in a box" and autonomous surgical tools that could save countless lives when evacuation to a surgeon isn't possible. He also shares his unique perspective as a "Rosetta Stone," translating complex medical challenges into the language of physics and engineering to find novel solutions.

It started with a movie. It led to a mission.

In this episode of "Voices from DARPA," we sit down with Michael Feasel, Ph.D., a program manager in the Biological Technologies Office, to discuss his extraordinary journey to the forefront of American innovation. From a pre-med student who found his calling in an inorganic chemistry class, to career inspiration from a Nicolas Cage film, Mike's path was anything but conventional. He shares how a chance Thanksgiving conversation launched his career in chemical and biological defense, and how he was later recruited to DARPA.

Mike offers a unique look inside the agency, detailing the challenges of managing programs far outside his initial expertise and the incredible impact of fostering world-changing ideas. Discover the story behind his Protean program, which aims to revolutionize how we counter chemical threats, and hear his reflections on what makes DARPA a one-of-a-kind place for innovators.

Related Content:
DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center
ABC
Hermes
RIDDL

What happens after you've worked on projects that could change the world?
We go beyond the cutting-edge technology and "secret labs" to explore the most vital part of DARPA's mission: its people.

Six former Program Managers discuss their experiences and what comes after a tour of duty at the agency.

They share their initial anxieties, the challenges of working on projects outside their expertise, and the unique culture of support and urgency that defines DARPA.

Discover how they transitioned from the agency back to the private and public sectors, and how their time at DARPA continues to shape their careers and the future of technology

www.darpa.mil/careers

The AI Cyber Challenge, AIxCC, marks a pivotal inflection point for cyber defense.

Numerous attacks in recent years have illuminated the ability for malicious cyber actors to exploit vulnerable software that runs everything from financial systems and public utilities to the health care ecosystem.

AIxCC Competitors successfully demonstrated the ability of novel autonomous systems using AI to secure the open-source software that underlies critical infrastructure, with winners revealed at DEF CON 33.

Hear from DARPA and ARPA-H on the game-changing results the competitors achieved.

And although the competition is over, the challenge continues.

All seven finalist teams’ CRSs have been made available as open-source software under a license approved by the Open Source Initiative.

Hear from teams on their experiences through the competition and how they are moving their systems to the real world.

LINKS:
Competition website
Finalist teams
Open source archive
Information Innovation Office
ARPA-H Resilient Systems Office