Ep. 317: “Engineering the Human Heart” Featuring Dr. Aitor Aguirre

Dr. Aitor Aguirre is an Associate Professor at Michigan State University and Director of the Stem Cell Core. In this episode, he discusses how his lab uses pluripotent stem cells and cardiac organoids to model human heart development and disease. He highlights the role of self-organization and bioengineering in building complex heart models, including assembloids with immune and neural components, and their applications in studying conditions like atrial fibrillation. He also shares perspectives on open science, collaboration, and training the next generation of scientists.