CPI member Dr. Julian Wagner has received the 2026 Boehringer Ingelheim Prize for his work on the molecular mechanisms of cardiac aging. The prize, endowed with €60,000 (€5,000 personal award + €55,000 research funding), recognizes his discovery of ZBTB16 as a key protective factor against age-related cardiovascular decline.
The award-winning project integrates multi-omics, stem cell models, and human tissue data to decode how neuronal regulation, atrial function, and aging intersect – an understudied axis with critical implications for diseases like atrial fibrillation. This work asks: How does aging impact atria and atrial remodeling and how does this contribute to atrial fibrillation, the most prevalent form of arrhythmia in the elderly? His findings lay the groundwork for novel RNA- or small molecule-based therapies to combat age-associated heart failure.
The project reflects the collective effort of Wagner’s team at Goethe University and collaborators across the CPI network.
Read more HERE.
Original publication:
Stilz et al., Endothelial ZBTB16: A Molecular Shield Against Cardiac Aging. European Heart Journal (2026).
DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf1063
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