Eva Hörmanseder

Dr. Eva Hörmanseder is a Group Leader at Helmholtz Munich, leading the Hörmanseder Lab within the Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES). Her research focuses on understanding epigenetic mechanisms that stabilize cell identity and inhibit reprogramming, particularly during somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). She investigates how vertebrate eggs can erase cellular memory to reprogram somatic nuclei into totipotent states, with implications for regenerative medicine. Her work emphasizes histone modifications like H3K4 methylation as barriers to reprogramming.

Her lab combines SCNT with multi-omics approaches to study three main areas:

• Epigenetic Memory: How differentiated cells retain identity
• Reprogramming to Totipotency: Mechanisms enabling nuclear transfer embryos
• Barriers for Cell Fate Changes: Overcoming resistance in nuclear transfer

Recent work highlights her lab’s efforts to improve reprogramming efficiency by manipulating epigenetic barriers. Collaborations within the IES and Helmholtz Munich provide a multidisciplinary environment for advancing stem cell and epigenetic research. Students Marco Stock, Meghana Oak, and Ana Janeva contribute to these efforts, focusing on computational biology, chromatin dynamics, and developmental epigenetics.

Key publications include breakthroughs in understanding H3K4 methylation’s role in cellular memory and the application of targeted DamID technology for histone modification analysis. Her findings bridge basic science and therapeutic potential in regenerative medicine.