Are you a research group leader with a transformative idea that could move us closer to developing gene therapies for heart attack and heart failure?
Express interest in our exploratory project funding if you are keen to join our community and unlock support to push forward your work helping regenerate and repair damaged hearts.
We are looking for innovative ideas and fresh perspectives that could help regenerate and repair damaged hearts.
We are inviting established academic research group leaders from the UK and around the world to join us in tackling one of medicine's biggest challenges: helping the heart regenerate and repair itself after injury.
You do not need to come from a cardiovascular research background.
Some of the most exciting breakthroughs happen when ideas from different fields are applied to longstanding problems in new ways.
What support is available?
We anticipate funding two or three projects which could range from early exploratory studies to more mature proof of concept projects. Funding for each project will depend on the scale and scope of the work but is expected to be in the range of £50,000 to £250,000 per project.
Successful applicants will gain access to:
- Funding to test their idea
- World-leading expertise in cardiac biology, gene therapy and RNA therapeutics
- A collaborative network of approximately 150 researchers across leading UK universities and international partners
- Established research models, assays and platforms in vitro and in vivo
- Training programmes, workshops, seminars and symposia
- Patient and public involvement networks to help shape impactful research
What are we looking for?
We welcome expressions of interest from established academic research groups with bold, creative and potentially transformative ideas, including those who have never worked in cardiovascular research before.
We are particularly interested in expertise and project ideas with the potential to:
- Bring new concepts or technologies from other disciplines
- Develop innovative approaches for delivering therapies to the heart
- Identify novel therapeutic targets or biological mechanisms
- Challenge existing thinking and open new avenues for cardiac regeneration
- Build interdisciplinary collaborations
Established research group leaders from fields including but not limited to immunology, synthetic biology, engineering, data science, AI, materials science, physics, chemistry, and related disciplines are also welcome to apply.
Our mission and approach
Heart disease remains a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Following a heart attack or the development of heart failure, the heart has only a limited ability to regenerate.
Our centre is working to change this by developing advanced DNA and RNA-based therapies that activate the body's own repair mechanisms and help regenerate the heart and restore heart function.
Details of our mission, research challenges and approach are available across our website.
Join us
Some of the most important advances come when ideas from one field are applied to another. Whether you are developing a new technology, exploring a novel biological concept, or applying ideas from another field, this is an opportunity to work with a leading centre and help shape the future of heart regeneration.
We are especially keen to hear from established research group leaders who may never have considered applying their expertise to cardiovascular disease before.
Complete a short expression of interest (EoI) and we’ll be in touch.
We will consider EoIs monthly from November 2026. Subject to the number of expressions we receive, we anticipate closing EoIs in March 2027.