Ep. 322: “Healing Hearts with Macrophages” Featuring Dr. Filipa Simões

Guest: Dr. Filipa Simões is a Group Leader at the University of Oxford and Co-Director of the Oxford Organoid Hub. She discusses how macrophages shape heart development, repair, and regeneration, and how cellular crosstalk within the cardiac niche influences tissue outcomes after injury. Using zebrafish models, stem cell–derived cardiac organoids, and spatial genomics approaches, she explores the molecular signals that govern macrophage identity and function, with the goal of uncovering new strategies to promote cardiac regeneration and limit fibrosis. Featured Products and Resources: Join us at ISSCR and discover the breakthroughs and technologies you can take straight back to your lab. Enter to win 350 US dollars or equivalent towards refreshments to fuel your next journal club. The Stem Cell Science Round Up iPSC Therapy for Heart Failure – Engineered heart muscle grafts derived from iPSCs increased heart wall thickness and improved cardiac function in patients with heart failure. Inflammatory Memory in HSCs – A distinct human HSC subset retains inflammatory memory, influencing blood production, aging, and disease risk. Organoid-Mediated Vision Recovery – Transplanted human retinal organoids partially restored vision after complete optic nerve transection in rats. Improving HSPC Gene Therapy – A new selection strategy enriches precisely edited hematopoietic stem cells while reducing unwanted genomic alterations. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Filipa Simões. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe