Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla

Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla is a Director at the Helmholtz Centre Munich and Full Professor (W3) for Stem Cell Biology at the Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich. She leads the Institute of Epigenetics & Stem Cells and the Stem Cell Centre, with affiliations to the Helmholtz Pioneer Campus and IGBMC, Strasbourg.

• Education: Habilitation in Molecular & Cellular Biology (2008, Université Louis Pasteur); PhD in Molecular & Cellular Biology (1998–2002, Université Paris V/Institut Pasteur); University degree in Biology (1994–1998, National University of Mexico).

Research Interests focus on epigenetics, chromatin dynamics, stem cell biology, and early mammalian development. Her work explores nuclear organization, totipotency, and reprogramming mechanisms during embryogenesis, with a strong emphasis on histone variants, heterochromatin regulation, and 3D genome architecture.

Her publications span high-impact journals like Nature, Nature Cell Biology, and Nature Genetics, with a focus on epigenetic reprogramming, chromatin accessibility, and cell fate decisions. She has authored 84 publications, including 62 as first or corresponding author.

Scientific Awards & Leadership Roles:

• 2023: Member, German National Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina) and Latin American Academy of Sciences (ACAL)
• 2021–2023: Editorial Board Member, Science and Cell Stem Cell
• 2020: NIH 4D Nucleome Project Principal Investigator Award
• 2019–2021: Founding member and Work Package Leader, LifeTime Initiative
• 2018–2023: Steering Board Member, Single Cell Omics Germany

She actively participates in interdisciplinary networks, including EpiGeneSys, Helmholtz Think Tank, and NIH 4D Nucleome advisory roles, while organizing major conferences like the Gordon Research Conference on Epigenetics and FASEB Methylation Meetings.