The Walter Brendel Centre of Experimental Medicine (WBex) at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München is a newly established research institution which integrates the Institute for Surgical Research and the Institute of Cardiovascular Physiology into a research centre dedicated to perform basic research at the clinical interface. Cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction or stroke are the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries. Basic research in this area is therefore essential and will significantly contribute to uncover the physiological and pathophysiological processes underlying cardiovascular diseases. From this knowledge, the development of novel promising treatment strategies can be promoted with the intention to reduce both mortality and morbidity of cardiovascular diseases. To reach these goals, one of our main missions is our strong support for translational medicine which will accelerate bringing those novel treatment strategies from bench to bedside.