The position will seek to address the aims of a currently funded NIH R01 and is available immediately in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. In this proposal, we focus on the crucial role of epicardial-myocardial signaling in cardiac morphogenesis and seek to elucidate the signals that drive these interactions. During development, the epicardium modulates cardiomyocyte (CM) behavior through biochemical signals and the contribution of multiple supporting cell types to the heart. Epicardial progenitor cells (EPCs) promote ventricular compaction via induction of CM proliferation, and in vitro evidence suggests a role for epicardial-derived cells (EPDCs), especially cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), in promoting the structural and functiona