Highlights from the HFA Winter Research Meeting 2026
Despite a wintry Berlin, the Heart Failure Winter Research Meeting on Translational Heart Failure once again brought together leading scientists and clinicians to discuss the latest advances in heart failure research. The meeting was organised by the Heart Failure Association (HFA) together with our Working Group on Myocardial Function and took place in the beautiful setting of the Kaiserin-Friedrich-Haus.
Participants of the HFA Winter Research Meeting 2026
This year’s edition Course Directors were Sophie Van Linthout and myself, Arantxa González-Miqueo, with Working Group Chair Wolfgang Linke and strongly involved members of the Working Group on Myocardial Function.
The HFA Winter Research Meeting once again provided an outstanding forum bringing together basic scientists, translational researchers, and clinicians working in heart failure. The meeting fostered lively discussions on emerging mechanisms, novel therapeutic targets, and innovative experimental approaches, strengthening the bridge between discovery and patient care.
We were also honoured by the participation of Prof. Thomas Lüscher, current President of the ESC, who delivered a lecture on the implementation of artificial intelligence in cardiology.
A special highlight of the meeting was the Dirk Brutsaert Award Lecture, delivered by Prof. Carsten C. Tschöpe, who masterfully guided the audience through the past, present, and future of HFpEF research.
Prof. Carsten Tschöpe receiving the Dirk Brutsaert Lecture distinction together with course directors Sophie Van Linthout and Arantxa González-Miqueo.
The Young Investigator Poster Session was another highlight, showcasing outstanding work from early-career researchers and stimulating vibrant scientific discussions.
Congratulations to the Young Investigator Award winner, Dr. Malte Juchem (Hannover Medical School), and to the two runners-up: Dr. Marco Mergiotti (University of Turin) and Dr. David Bode (Charité Berlin).
Following the success of this edition, we look forward to returning to Berlin for the next HFA Winter Research Meeting in January 2027!
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Biomedicine 2026 - took place in Leuven from 17 to 19 April.
The Frontiers in Cardiovascular Biomedicine (FCVB) congress, organised by the ESC Council on Basic Cardiovascular Science, is one of the leading European meetings dedicated to basic and translational cardiovascular research. The congress brings together scientists, clinicians, and trainees from across the cardiovascular field to exchange ideas and discuss the latest advances in cardiovascular biology and medicine. Over three days, the programme highlighted cutting-edge discoveries across the spectrum of cardiovascular science, from molecular and cellular mechanisms to translational and clinical applications. The meeting emphasises the integration of diverse disciplines and encourages interaction between early-career investigators and established leaders in the field.
The Working Group on Myocardial Function contributed with a joint symposium organised together with the Working Group on Cardiac Cellular Electrophysiology.
Don’t Miss the Heart Failure congress in sunny Barcelona in May!
The Heart Failure Congress 2026, organised by the HFA of the ESC, will take place in Barcelona from 9-12 May 2026.
Under the theme “Evolution in Heart Failure”, the congress will bring together the international heart failure community to explore the latest advances in the field. The programme will focus on translating scientific discoveries into clinical impact, addressing progress in prevention, precision diagnosis, and treatment strategies for patients with heart failure worldwide.
The congress will feature interactive sessions, clinical case discussions, and hands-on educational activities, enabling participants to translate the latest evidence directly into clinical practice. Late-breaking science sessions will present the most recent research findings, while dedicated tracks will support the HFA Young community and early-career researchers.
Recommended Publications
In this April newsletter we highlight an editorial written by Sophie Schmid from the group of our WG Nucleus member Mahmoud Abdellatif, discussing a recent publication by Sophie Van Linthout and colleagues (including myself), on the role of cardiac fibroblasts in heart failure.
- Van Linthout S, Matz I, González A, Davis J. Cardiac fibroblasts in myocardial injury and heart failure. European Heart Journal, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf902
We have also selected 3 outstanding papers as recommended reading:
A new ESC joint scientific statement, with the involvement of our Working Group, addressing cardiovascular metabolic risk factors delving into mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities:
- Evans PC et al. Novel cardiovascular metabolic risk factor mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities. European Heart Journal, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehag116
Outstanding work recently published in the European Heart Journal by Mira Jung, together with our WG Nucleus member Christian Bär and colleagues from Thomas Thum’s lab, identifying circHIPK2 as a key regulator of macrophage polarization after myocardial infarction.
- Jung M et al. Macrophage-specific circular RNA circHIPK2, inflammation, and fibrosis after myocardial infarction. European Heart Journal, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf1116
Recent insights into disease trajectories in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy:
- Vissing CR et al. Differences in Disease Trajectory, Comorbidities, and Mortality in Sarcomeric and Nonsarcomeric Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Circulation, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.125.076036
Stay Connected with the Working Group
Our LinkedIn community continues to grow, and we have recently surpassed 465 members! Thank you for helping make this a dynamic and engaged network.
If you have a recent publication, initiative, or upcoming meeting that you would like us to highlight, we would be delighted to feature it in future newsletters. Please feel free to contact me (Arantxa González-Miqueo) at amiqueo@unav.es
Help us expand our community by inviting colleagues to join both our LinkedIn group and the ESC Working Group on Myocardial Function.
- Join the WG on Myocardial Function: /communities/working-groups/myocardial-function/membership/
- Join our LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13129022/
Warm regards,
Arantxa González-Miqueo
News Coordinator
