Maria Elena Torres-Padilla holds multiple leadership positions including Director of the Stem Cell Center (rotating), Director of the Institute for Epigenetics and Stem Cells, and Director of Biomedicine at the Helmholtz Pioneer Campus. She also serves as the Chair of Stem Cell Biology in the Faculty of Biology at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich. Her research is dedicated to unraveling the molecular intricacies that establish and uphold totipotency during early embryo development. Within her team's scope, they delve into the realm of nuclear architecture and chromatin dynamics, aiming to elucidate their pivotal roles in steering cellular plasticity and orchestrating transitions from totipotency to pluripotency. The profound insights gained from this research could potentially refine cellular reprogramming methods for regenerative medicine and shed light on the intricate mechanisms of stem cell biology and cellular plasticity.