We are proud to share that Professor Alessandra Moretti, Principal Investigator at the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) and Professor of Regenerative Medicine of Cardiovascular Disease at Technical University of Munich (TUM), has been awarded the prestigious ERC Advanced Grant 2025 by the European Research Council. The grant, amounting to up to €2.5 million, recognizes Professor Moretti’s outstanding track record in translational cardiovascular science and supports her visionary project EPICURE. The project explores human cardiac regeneration by leveraging cutting-edge organoid technology. While the adult human heart has virtually no self-repair capabilities, certain species like zebrafish retain this potential. Inspired by these biological models, Moretti’s team has developed “epicardioids” – three-dimensional, lab-grown structures mimicking the development of the human epicardium, the outermost heart layer. These models allow the researchers to decode the molecular signals that guide cardiac development and regeneration. Their goal: to harness these insights for the creation of CRISPR-Cas–based regenerative therapies for heart disease. This achievement not only highlights Professor Moretti’s pioneering contributions to the field but also exemplifies the translational focus of DZHK and its commitment to impactful cardiovascular innovation. More under https://dzhk.de/.