Enzo Porrello and team awarded NHMRC Investigator Grant

Congratulations to Enzo Porrello and his team, who have been awarded an NHMRC Investigator Grant to advance stem cell technology that may one day remove the need for heart transplants.

The grant, led by reNEW Melbourne Node Director and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Group Leader Professor Enzo Porrello, was awarded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and is valued at just under AUD 3 million (EUR 1.8 million).

NHMRC Investigator Grants are designed to support Australia’s highest-performing researchers.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the leading cause of heart failure in children, and many young people diagnosed with DCM may require a heart transplant.

The funding will be used to investigate whether lab-grown heart tissue, bioengineered from human stem cells, can restore heart muscle function in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

“Our vision is to develop precision and regenerative therapies for DCM that target the root cause of the condition and halt its progression to heart failure,” Professor Porrello said.

This grant recognises the strength of our research in tackling some of Australia’s biggest health challenges.